Estate Planning Helps Provide for Your Florida Pet
Hotel heiress Leona Helmsley is perhaps the most famous example of a person remembering a favorite pet in her will with a twelve million dollar trust fund, but Florida along with forty-one other states and the District of Columbia currently have laws that specifically allow pet owners to create trusts for the care of their pets after the owner passes on.
For the average Florida resident, planning for the care of your pet in your estate does not have to be complex. A trust along with simple instructions in your will can suffice, or you can be more explicit as to who the trustee will be, who the caretaker will be, and what will happen to any leftover funds after the animal passes. For those with large estates to consider, a lawyer can draw up a custom pet trust that fits within the guidelines of Florida's estate laws.
A pet trust can be funded through a will or while you are still living. Funding with a will is perhaps the easiest and cheapest, but creating a trust while you are alive would provide support for your pet should you become incapacitated. It is also important to consider who should take care of the pet in the immediate aftermath of your death and before the will is read. If you live alone, consider carrying a card in your wallet that lists your pets and some simple emergency instructions should you die or become incapacitated unexpectedly.
Another option to provide for your pet is to leave the pet and a bequest to someone else in your will. Or, you can look for a veterinarian with a continuing care program; they can house and care for your pet or find it a new, loving home after you are gone. Find out more options for estate planning that includes your best friend at Caring For Fido After You're Gone.
If you live in the Jacksonville, Florida or Orlando, Florida area and require assistance with estate planning, please contact Wood, Atter & Wolf for estate planning legal counsel.
