Who do you love?

Even as an Army brat my parents let us kids have a dog. He traveled with us when we moved every 2-3 years overseas and was our constant friend when we had to say goodbye to so many others. He had an adventurous spirit and when he frequently escaped and ran away in our neighborhoods, we drove around searching and yelling for him. Everyone participated in secretly feeding him scraps from the dinner table when he quietly begged at our feet. (His favorites were squash and green beans! 😂) My dad would tell him to get off our beds whenever caught and he would quickly jump back up when my dad left the room. He was a part of the family in every way.

I have continued to have dogs in my adult life and I currently reside with a standard poodle named Walnut or Wally for short. Wally loves his long daily walks, and to be close with everyone in the family. We spoil him with gourmet dog food, have him groomed at his spa, and take him to his regular veterinary appointments. He has a care regimen just like his humans.

Wally didn't choose gourmet food and spa appointments because he demanded them — he gets them because he takes care of me as much as I take care of him. Our childhood dog who ran off through overseas neighborhoods and begged for squash under the table gave us his whole life. The least we can do is make sure our pets are provided for even after we're gone, the same way they show up for us every single day.

What does this have to do with estate planning you may ask. There is something called a pet trust that can be incorporated into your living trust. It is a provision for the care of your pet after you have passed, both guardianship and a financial distribution. We do this first and foremost because we love our pets and because pets are frequently surrendered to animals shelters because of the incapacity or death of an owner. Industry data shows that human life changes—including caretaker health issues and owner death—account for roughly 10% of all owner surrenders at shelters. When an owner passes away, family members often bring the pets to a facility because they cannot or will not take them in.

So when we think about who we love, creating living trusts and providing for those we love after incapacity or death, we need to be inclusive of everyone we love (humans and pets). As your Personal Family Lawyer, I love my pet too and will help you remember your fur baby when doing Life and Legacy Planning for your trust. Schedule a discovery call to get started!

Did you catch me on the news?

It’s National Make a Will Month and I do both wills and trusts for a living so Carolyn Murray was kind enough to host me on WCBD NBC News 2. Excuse my nerves. 😳 Carolyn is my friend and she has a big job! ❤️ Every adult— not just the wealthy— needs an estate plan.

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