If your pet is part of the family, providing for its care can be part of your estate planning in Ohio.
It looks like Minnesota will join the pack of states that allow the creation of pet trusts to provide care for beloved animals after the pet owner’s death.
Ohio and all other states in the U.S. already permit such trusts as part of estate planning.
A dog-loving legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives is behind the push for that state to also get on the stick.
State Rep. Dennis Smith (R-Maple Grove) said he plans to set up a trust for his golden retriever mixed-breed “immediately” should the legislation become law, according to coverage from Minnesota television station WDAY. (“Who will care for your pet when you die? Trust bill proposed”)
“There have been some problems. … There is a need for this,” Smith said.
Smith, an attorney, told WDAY about a third of his clients consider gifts for their pets when planning their estates. Their only option in Minnesota now is to include the animal in their wills – though that does not mandate the money be spent on the pet.
Unlike leaving money in a will, pet trusts also can specifically provide for the care of a pet when the owner becomes no longer able to provide the care himself or herself.
Louisiana and Kentucky passed animal trust laws in 2015.
Money left in trust for care of an animal passes to other heirs when the pet dies.
Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Stanford Township) was supporting Smith’s legislation last month. He told the TV station he would bring one of his two black labs to a planned hearing on the proposal.
Contact us
For more information about estate planning in Ohio, contact R.F. Meyer & Associates at elderlaw.us or 614-471-0085.
Our offices are located at 450 W. Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 380, in Worthington, 43085.
A full range of planning services also is offered by the firm, which specializes in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid eligibility, probate laws and special needs trusts.