Dogs have been "man's best friend" for a long time, but in the last 20 years society has made it easier to bring our pets everywhere. With pet friendly hotels, restaurants and outdoor shopping malls, society acknowledges that pets are family.
If you're about to walk down the aisle, are you ready for what could happen if your marriage doesn't work out?
We hear about celebrities signing prenups to protect their assets and property, and that's what Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert did, which reportedly included the couple's many pets.
The "pet prenup" is one of the hottest trends for people in pet-friendly cities like LA.
Dogs, cats, and even horses and potbelly pigs become family. When the couple divorces, there can be emotional turmoil when the spouses have to decide, or worse, fight over who gets Max or Luna.
Pets Can 'Mean Everything' to a Person
The pet is a member of the family, and they can mean everything to a person. Many people have strong bonds with their pets, and a pet prenup helps them prepare for the worst.
A pet prenup provides a roadmap if the couple ever divorces, it spells out what will happen. "This is how we're going to divide our property, including our beloved German Shepherd 'Dexter.'"
Realistically, pet prenups are not a bad idea because you love these animals like they're a part of your family. If you don't have kids, they are your kids.
You're not going to have a custody case over the family dog. The case of who gets Dexter will be treated just like the car, or the oil paintings that you and your spouse picked up at an antique store while on vacation.
If there's no pet prenup, there's not much you can do. You'll have to address it in litigation. You would have to present evidence of who paid for the dog, who took the dog to the vet, who groomed the dog, and who paid the vet bills, assuming you kept good records.
For more family law tips, contact us for a free consultation with a Los Angeles divorce attorney!