Pets & Estate Planning in Utah

Including Your Pets in Your Estate Plan

Every pet owner, young or old, needs to think about what would happen to their animal if they could no longer care for it. Whether you have cats, dogs, other domestic house pets, or farm animals, you are responsible for protecting their quality of life. Making plans to provide for them in case of your incapacity or death is a responsible and caring choice.

The team at Pearson Butler can help. Pet planning is an important issue, and the firm’s Utah estate planning attorneys may be able to help you make provisions for the care of your animals.

You can get answers to any questions you may have about the pet planning process, such as:

• What is involved in pet planning?
• Why is pet planning so important for pet owners?
• How can a lawyer help?

Contact Pearson Butler today at (800) 265-2314 to discuss your pet planning goals and get detailed information on the personalized services the firm can offer you.

What Is Involved in Pet Planning?

The pet planning process will depend upon what type of pets you have and what your goals are for them. One thing that every pet owner must contend with is making certain that there is a home for pets to live in if something happens to the current owner.

Naming a guardian is the first step in the pet planning process. As a pet owner, you realize that caring for an animal can be expensive. You don’t want your animal’s needs to be unfulfilled because the caregiver cannot spend the money to pay for pet daycare, vet bills, or high-quality food. To make certain your animal has the quality of life you wish to provide, it is a good idea to set aside money for your animal’s care.

You can provide for a pet in your will, but there is no guarantee that the money will be used for its intended purposes once the cash is transferred. You can also use more advanced estate planning tools, like creating a trust. By making a trust, you can dictate exactly what the money is to be used for. The trustee must abide by your instructions in the trust document, so you can ensure that the cash is kept aside for the pet’s vet bills or other stated expenses.

Why Is Pet Planning Essential for Pet Owners?

There are millions of pets across the U.S. and throughout Utah who are living in shelters. Older pets in these settings can be hard to get adopted, and some animals become depressed or aggressive. Your animal could be left to this fate, or even left homeless or euthanized if you do not take steps to ensure a safe home is provided. Thankfully, creating a pet plan is not too difficult with experienced help.

How Can a Lawyer Help?

Pearson Butler has helped the owners of all different types of animals throughout Utah. Whether you have a canine or feline companion that you love, a less common pet, or an entire farm full of animals, the firm’s Utah estate planning lawyers may be able to assist you in making the right plans to ensure a secure future for the animals in your life.

Call (800) 265-2314 to schedule a consultation at Pearson Butler today.