Pets are a part of the family! What happens to your pet when you
die? Is there anything you can do to ensure that your pet will be
well taken care of? The answer, fortunately, is yes here in
Washington. Chapter RCW 11.118 sets forth Washington law governing
pet trusts.
By including
a pet trust in your Will, you can name a trustee who will care for
your pet, a distribution amount for the care of your pet after you
are deceased, and also establish how the money should be spent for
your pet's care. Our office has experience in this area of practice.
Stacey L.
Romberg, a pet owner, spoke at the Washington State Bar
Association's 2008 Animal Law continuing legal education course
regarding the issue of pet trusts. Our office will work with you to
help you select an appropriate trustee, who will ideally be someone
you trust completely and who also has a strong relationship with
your pet.
We can
also assist you in determining the distribution amount, considering
factors such as your past spending history regarding your pet's
care, the age and health of your pet, and also that pets tend to
require more expensive veterinarian care toward the end of their
lives.
We also will
encourage you to communicate with your trustee and alternates, both
verbally and in writing, in terms of what they need to know to take
good care of your pet - types of food, name and contact information
of your veterinarian, health history and concerns, preferred treats,
additional services (massage, acupuncture, etc.), feeding times,
spots where your pet likes to be petted, etc.
Together, we
can work through this issue to help ensure that your very loved pet
will be well taken care of if anything ever happens to you!
Stacey's Cat Rabble
