Pet Trust Teleconference

A teleconference entitled Don’t Forget the Family Pet! (Pet Trusts and other Estate Planning Devices for the Care of Companion Animals) will be sponsored by the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee, the ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and the New York City Bar Association Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals Committee on Thursday, April 5, 2007, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST.

Here is a description of this program:

Providing for the continuing care of companion animals is an important part of an estate planning for clients with animals. Companion animals are often considered members of the family. If left to chance after the client’s death, or incapacitation, the animals may be left without proper care, or taken to a shelter where the animals may be euthanized. There are 38 states that have statutes specifying that trusts for animals are valid. However, few practitioners have drafted such trusts. This program will discuss the practical aspects of forming a pet trust, providing for the outright bequest of companion animals in a will, and also cover some ethical considerations that arise on this topic. 
 
Topics to be covered include: 

• Various estate planning tools
• Drafting key clauses in a pet trust
• Covering the costs of animal care
• Caring for long-lived animals
• Caring for animals during a pet owner’s incapacity and pre-probate
• Various ethical considerations