Pets in Divorce – Don’t Forget about Rover

Pets in Divorce – Don’t Forget about Rover

While many people view their pets as furry members of the family, the courts in Washington view domestic pets (such as dogs and cats) as personal property. Unlike children, where a parenting plan is established and custody may be shared. Pets are generally given to one party or the other; with courts dividing ownership along with the family home, car, and other personal property.

As in Washington, Rhode Island currently recognizes that pets are property, to be divided without necessarily regarding the animal’s welfare in determining who the pet is slated to live with. However, a new law has been proposed to change that.

The Seattle Times published an article this week about the new law being proposed in Rhode Island to treat pets a little less like property in a divorce proceeding. The law would require that judges take into account the best interest of the animals when determining who would get custody of them during a divorce. This is not a new idea, with Alaska first paving the way for a pet “custody” over pet “property” approach; requiring the court to bear the pet’s interest in mind when determining who would watch over them.

If you are concerned about pet custody in your divorce, your first stop should be to speak with an experienced legal team about your family law options; contact Elise Buie Family Law Group, PLLC. We provide can a consultation regarding your family law issues. Your attorney will be able to review the facts of your case and discuss your options with you. It is often in the divorcing pet owners’ (and the pet’s) best interest to reach an agreement amicably. For more about collaborative divorce, visit our website.

STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to our newsletters

 
Subscribe to one or more of our newsletters, delivering meaningful insight on topics that matter to you and your family.
ebl home subscribe image

FURTHER READING

Latest Blog Posts

If you and your partner reside in Washington state and are unmarried, you each might qualify for the legal protections availed to you by law by classifying your relationship as a committed intimate relationship.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your family is to build an estate plan while you are alive and well. Estate planning allows you to formally communicate your wishes so they will not be up for interpretation by…

A co-executor can help facilitate the distribution of assets, minimize conflicts, and provide much-needed support to grieving families.

The law makes it easy for people to get out of bad marriages. Washington, like most states, acknowledges no-fault divorce. This means that if you want a court to dissolve your marriage, all you have to do is file for…

Washington state’s laws on non-marital relationships, including committed intimate relationships (CIRs), can be convoluted, especially in the absence of a cohabitation agreement. Given the ambiguity that exists for unmarried partners in Washington state, thinking about the future and what it could look like is more important than ever. This is especially true in terms of aging, incapacity, and death. Fortunately, you can address each of these issues in a comprehensive estate plan.

Prenups and postnups can strengthen a marriage, given how they require relationship partners to put their cards on the table for each other to see, offering transparency and peace of mind. Despite their similarities, there are a few significant differences between the two.

Child support is one of the most contentious issues in divorce cases where parties have minor children. Even though Washington state law uses the same complex mathematical formula to determine the amount of child support for each child, there is…

Family law and estate planning often intersect. This is particularly true when contemplating divorce, remarriage, or blending families.

At some point during your divorce case, friends and family members whose own marriages ended in divorce probably told you that it gets better, and it does. Of course, from your perspective, getting out of a bad marriage might be…

Co-parenting over a long distance when you are a non-residential parent does not have to equate to sacrificing involvement in your children’s lives. But it likely does mean you will have to make tweaks in your communication and parenting style to accommodate the new living arrangement.