A recent article in The London Times in discussed what it called “pet-nup”—in other words, a prenuptial agreement that includes plans for what will happen to a couple’s pets if the marriage ends.
I’ve written about this issue before on this blog. It’s an issue I’ve seen in many, many divorces-- in high net worth divorces, celebrity divorces, and cases with people who are aren’t well-known. We all love our pets, and leaving them is hard; a concern for what’s best for their well-being and welfare is often at the core of a custody dispute involving them.
According to the British piece, a quarter of all U.K. divorces include conflict over pets. It also mentions an upcoming television series here, “Pet Divorce Court.” That sort of tension can be alleviated by planning ahead with the help of an experienced divorce lawyer. The question of pet custody takes many factors into account—who walks the pet and also who pays for and arranges veterinarian visits, for example—beyond just love. Like so many aspects of getting married, planning for what should happen if a divorce happens is common sense, and makes everyone calmer…including, one would presume, the pets themselves.
