Estate Planning for Pet Owners — A Pennsylvania Perspective

Neil E. Hendershot of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania law firm of Goldberg Katzman, P.C., has recently published his article entitled What the General Practitioner Needs to Know About Pennsylvania Animal Law (Part II) — Personal and Estate Planning for Pennsylvanians Owning Pets, Penn. B. Assoc. Q., July 2006, at 107.  Neil provides an outstanding discussion of the development of estate planning for pet owners with emphasis on Pennsylvania law.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states which does not yet have legislation specifically authorizing pet trusts.  Neil concludes his article by recommending that:

[t]he pet trust provisions proposed for Pennsylvania law should remain in the entire PA UTC package.  Hopefully, this proposed “pet trust” solution will become law, and thereby provide a reliable framework for long-term, owner-absent, pet care in Pennsylvania.

Neil will also be speaking at the Third Annual Animal Law Seminar sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.  Here is the description of this program:

For many of us (and many of your clients), our pets – and animals in general – can invoke strong emotions and provoke serious questions and debate. If you appreciated (or if you missed) the 2005 Animal Law Seminar, plan to attend our continued pioneering into this emerging and evocative area of law.

Our planners, along with returning and new faculty, will update you on some core topic areas and will also explore new issues in the animal law arena, with a special end of day choice between sessions that examine interesting issue for either “dog lovers” or “cat lovers.” A full day at PBI’s Animal Law Seminar offers exhibits, discussion, and information on current Pennsylvania and federal laws and debate and discussion on several animal-related policy issues. These are vital matters that can affect you, whether you’re a plaintiff or defense practitioner, a prosecutor, an estate planning specialist, a civil rights advocate, a family law lawyer, a professional interested and/or involved in animal welfare or a concerned pet owner. This year’s Animal Law Seminar will provide you with an overview in many areas of law and policy. This seminar promises to again be educational and fun. What other CLE offers you a chance to visit with shelter and rescue pets during the course of a program!

For additional information on estate planning for pet owners, see Estate Planning for Non-Human Family Members.