A Trust for FidoA Trust for Fido
Steve Ann Chambers, president of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and a member of the Washington Bar, reports that there has been a recent uptick in the number of states adopting statutes recognizing animals as beneficiaries of valid, enforceable trusts. Florida recently became the latest state to enact such legislation, effective as of Jan. 1. It joins 18 other states with such laws on the books. Legislation
May 1, 2003
Rorie M. Sherman Editor in Chief
Steve Ann Chambers, president of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and a member of the Washington Bar, reports that there has been a recent uptick in the number of states adopting statutes recognizing animals as beneficiaries of valid, enforceable trusts. Florida recently became the latest state to enact such legislation, effective as of Jan. 1. It joins 18 other states with such laws on the books. Legislation currently pending in Connecticut, Delaware and Minnesota is likely to pass.
In the past, estate advisors typically tried to honor their clients' intent by setting up an honorary trust with the animal as beneficiary. But heirs could successfully contest the trustee's use of the money for the animal, and th...
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