Determining Pet Care After Death Via Your Will

As you begin to review your assets and plan for the inheritance of your estate, you may start to think about pet care after death. Naturally, you want your best friend to be well cared for, and have the funds to do so. An estate planning lawyer in Las Vegas may help you create a plan. While you can’t leave funds directly to your pet when you die, you can set aside funds to ensure that your pet is taken care of once you pass away.

Finding a New Home for Fido

Including your pet in your will is relatively simple, and usually affordable. Most states view pets as the property of their owner. This means you can dictate through your will who they will go to once you pass away. Many owners do this, as no one wants to think about having to rehome pets once a beloved member of the family has passed away.

Covering the Cost of Pet Care After Death

If you’re concerned about ensuring pet care after death, you’re likely considering full care – including expenses that occur from food, grooming, and medical needs. While giving money to pets is not feasible, owners can put in their will that a portion of money may only be dispersed upon agreeing to take care of the pet. Should the individual disagree, the money may be kept by the estate.

Monitoring Money Usage

Ensuring that the money you set aside for pet care is used correctly can be somewhat difficult. Simply giving a sum of money to the individual you entrust with your pet does not guarantee that the money will be used as you dictated. However, owners have the option of utilizing pet trusts, which allow the money to only be dispersed for controlled uses. Unfortunately, this may come with an upfront cost to set up.