2 Important Things to Know about Wills and Dogs
If you are the owner of a beloved dog and want to make sure your dog is cared for after you leave this world, it might be wise to talk to an estate planning attorney about your concern. He or she is likely to suggest including instructions about your pet in your will. By doing this, you may feel safer knowing your pet will be cared for after you are no longer around. Here are two important things to know about leaving instructions in your will regarding your pet.
You cannot will it money
It is not legal to will money to a dog like you can to people, but there is another way you can leave money for your pet. Your attorney might suggest setting a trust fund for the dog. This fund would be used to provide care for the dog as long as it lives, and the money could only be used for this purpose.
If you decide to use this option, you will need to make some decisions, which include these:
- Who will care for the dog? You can choose anyone you would like to be the caregiver for your canine, but you should talk this over with him or her beforehand. You should make sure the person wants this responsibility and that this person would be able to have a dog in the house or apartment he or she lives in.
- What services should the dog receive? By listing every possible service you want your dog to get, it should be quite clear what the dog needs after you are no longer around. This list should not only include vet services, but it can also include grooming and other services.
- Who would you like to name to be responsible for enforcing the instructions? You will also need to choose someone to enforce the instructions you left, and this should not be the same person that is caring for the dog.
You must determine how much money the dog will need
To make sure the person that receives the dog provides the essential care for it, you should thoroughly analyze how much money this will take. To do this, you should first look at how long the dog will probably live. The average lifespan for a medium or large dog is 11 years, for example, and you can use this average to determine how many years the dog may have left to live.
You should then calculate how much it will cost to pay for the dog's food and services over this span of time.
To learn more about pets and wills, make an appointment with an estate planning attorney today, like one from Cadwallader Law Offices. This is the best way to make sure your pet is cared for when you can no longer provide the care yourself.