Trust and Estate Planning for Pets
Providing for the care of pets is, for some clients, their most urgent estate and trust priority. These clients want to ensure that, after their own deaths, their pets are looked after in a safe and secure environment. But the law is unclear in this area – there are few familiar planning patterns to follow in this area.The challenge for the planner is to create new structures to achieve these goals, including choosing standards for caregivers and trustees, drafting distribution provisions, and providing for the disposition of the remains of pets.This program will provide you with a practical guide to the estate and trust planning for pets and other animals, including drafting trusts, fiduciary standards, and distribution provisions.
- Legal and practical framework for estate and trust planning for pets and other animals
- Traditional trusts v. statutory trusts – advantages and disadvantages of each
- Drafting standards for caregivers and trustees, and understanding the relationship between the two
- Distributions to caregivers for the pet and for themselves
- Designation of remainder beneficiary or trust, terminating the trust, and final disposition of pets or other animals
SPEAKERS:
Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses. She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities. Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001. Ms. Vaselaney received her B.A. from the University of Dayton and her J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Michael Sneeringer an attorney in the Naples, Florida office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, where his practice focuses on trust and estate planning, probate administration, asset protection planning, and tax law. He has served as vice chair of the asset protection planning committee of the ABA’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Section and is an official reporter of the Heckerling Institute.Mr. Sneeringer received his B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College, his J.D., cum laude, St. Thomas University School of Law, and his LL.M. from the University of Miami School of Law.
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