Taylor Swift just got another cat, which got us thinking….man, those have got to be some happy spoiled pets and perhaps she could adopt us as well…but also, if she cares about her cats SO much, has she done estate planning to make sure they are taken care of in the future?
One area of estate planning that is frequently overlooked, is of purr-ticular interest to us: planning for what happens to your pets if something happens to you.
Furtunately, North Carolina Law affords us the ability to include our furry companions in our estate plans. If you haven’t planned for your pet, don’t terrier yourself up about it (okay, we promise we’re done with the puns) we can help you make sure Fluffy is taken care of in the event that you die, or become suddenly unable to care for her.
One common scenario arises when an owner has to leave a home they have long-shared with their pet. This might be because of an illness, or in order to move to an assisted living or nursing facility. This can be traumatic for both the owner, and for the pet.
While there are facilities that will allow a small and well-behaved pet, they are few and far between. Most facilities don’t allow pets at all. Having a contingency plan for a pet’s care can reduce stress on both the owner and the pet, as well as the people who might end up being asked to care for the animal.
There is no clear roadmap for what should happen in this situation, which is one reason that personalized estate planning is so important. We can work together to create a plan that not only takes care of you, but your furbabies as well.
Don’t miss out on the op-purr-tunity to of-fur your pets the security you are securing for yourself by doing your estate planning. Plan for the paw-sibility of disruption in their future, too. (Sorry, not sorry.)