While many Nevadans consider their pets to be members of their families, the government doesn’t consider them to be any different than other types of property such as cars. When people are planning their estates, they should not overlook their pets. If they pass away and do not have anything in place to provide for the care of their pets, the pets may not be taken care of by their family members.
One way to make certain that beloved pets are taken care of after people die is to create a pet trust. This is a trust account that contains funds for the care of the pets. Having pet trusts in place may make it likelier that the pet will be provided for long after its owner has passed away.
Pet trusts can also be established while people are alive so that their pets will be cared for if they become too ill or incapacitated to take care of the pets themselves. Pet trusts are standalone documents that are legally binding. The trust can provide money to the designated guardian so that he or she can buy the pet’s food, take it for veterinary care or spend funds on other pet needs.
People who have pets that they want to protect in the event that they die or become incapacitated might want to talk to estate planning lawyers about trust planning. The attorneys may be able to help to draw up the trust documents in such a manner that the pet’s care will be provided for according to the owner’s wishes. This can help to alleviate any worries that the pet owners might have about what might happen to their pets after they die. By providing funds so that all of the pets’ needs can be provided for, people might make certain that the pets will live long and happy lives.