Article On Slayer Rule And Pets

Jesus A. Osete (J.D. Candidate, Washington University in St. Louis) recently published an article entitled, Extending the ‘Slayer Rule’ to Four-Legged Legatees. Provided below is an abstract of the article:

Should the equitable protections of the slayer rule apply to pet beneficiaries inheriting under state pet trust statutes? This paper explores this novel question in the field of American estate law. Currently, forty-nine states and the District of Columbia permit individuals to leave an inheritance to their pets. At the same time, however, these laws are silent as to whether the slayer rule would protect their pet beneficiaries from harm that would result in the forfeiture of their inheritance. With a simple drafting amendment, these states can extend the rule to a broader definition of beneficiary.