Pets are a part of the family! What happens to your pet when you die? Is there anything you can do to ensure that your pet will be well taken care of in your Will? Here in Washington, the answer, fortunately, is yes! RCW Chap. 11.118 sets forth Washington law governing Trusts for pets in estate planning. By including a Trust for your pet in your Will, you can name a caretaker to care for your pet as well as appoint a Trustee who will take care of the money you leave for your pet's care and also establish how the money should be spent for your pet’s care. We have prepared several Wills over the years that include Trusts for clients' pets.
Our office will work with you to help you select an appropriate Trustee, who will ideally be someone you trust completely and who also has a strong relationship with your pet. We can also assist you in determining the distribution amount, considering factors such as your past spending history regarding your pet’s care, the age and health of your pet, and also that pets tend to require more expensive veterinary care as they get older.
We will also encourage you to communicate with your Trustee and alternates, both verbally and in writing, in terms of what they need to know to take good care of your pet – types of food, name and contact information of your veterinarian, health history and concerns, preferred treats, additional services (massage, acupuncture, etc.), feeding times, spots where your pet likes to be petted, etc.
If you decide that you don’t need or want a Trust for your pet in your Will, we can recommend some alternatives for you to make sure that your pet will be well taken care of during the estate planning process. Together, we can work through this issue to help ensure that your very loved pet will be well taken care of if anything ever happens to you.
Give us a call at 253.858.5434 if you have questions about incorporating care for your pets into your estate plan.