Long Island Elder Law & Estate Planning

Long Island estate planning attorneys offer you the help and support you need to make a plan to care for those who you love after you pass away. At Eghrari Wealth Training Law Firm , we know that it’s not just human family members who you care about and want to provide for – we know that you also have pets that you care about. The good news is, there are steps that you can take and tools that you can put in place to make sure your animals are kept safe even if something happens and you cannot care for them any longer. Long Island Estate Planning Attorneys

Eghrari Wealth Training Law Firm can help you to make a pet plan that is as simple or as comprehensive and detailed as you would prefer. Let our legal team help you to make a pet plan now if you are a pet owner. Give us a call to find out how we can help you.

How to Make a Plan to Protect Your Pets

The first and most basic step to make certain that your pets are protected in case something happens to you is to make a decision regarding who will take care of your animals if you are not able to care for them on your own.

According to the ASPCA, millions of pets are surrendered annually to animal shelters, and some of those animals are never able to find homes. In far too many tragic cases, the pets who are surrendered are sent to the shelter because their owners have passed away or become very sick and there were no plans made for the care of the animals.

To make sure that your animals have a caregiver and a home if you cannot provide care any longer due to illness or because you pass away, you should name a guardian for your pets. You should talk with your chosen guardian to make sure they are willing to take on the responsibility and you should provide clear instructions specifying who is to serve as your animal’s caregiver. This can also help you to ensure that your pets do not end up living with someone who you would not have chosen as their caregiver after you fall ill or pass away.

Because circumstances can change, it is a good idea not just to name a guardian for your animals but also to select a backup guardian who will be entrusted with your pet’s care if your first choice guardian is unable to take care of the pets at the time when their help becomes necessary.

In addition to making plans for who will care for your pets, you may also want to make plans for how the costs of caring for your animals will be paid. Taking care of pets is expensive, and you don’t want your animal’s quality of life to suffer when you are not caring for them any longer. To ensure money is available for vet bills and other costs, you should consider leaving some money for the care of your animals.

Because animals cannot inherit money directly and, of course, cannot manage an inheritance, it is a good idea to create a trust to provide for your animal’s care. You can name a trustee who will have a fiduciary duty to follow instructions that you set forth in your trust document and you can provide detailed instructions for exactly how you want the money to be used. By creating a trust, you can ensure that the money is used for your intended purposes to provide for your animals.

Getting Help from Long Island Estate Planning Attorneys

Eghrari Wealth Training Law Firm offers assistance with the creation of a pet plan, either as part of a comprehensive estate plan or if you want to make a standalone pet to ensure that your animals are protected. Our compassionate and knowledgeable legal team works closely with clients to identify the key issues they need to plan for in the future and to make effective use of legal tools to ensure you are prepared for incapacity, end of life issues, and to leave a strong legacy.

To find out more about how Eghrari Wealth Training Law Firm can help you, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call at (631) 265-0599 or contact us online to talk with Long Island estate planning attorneys today about your personalized for protecting your pets.

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About Eghrari Wealth Training Law Firm

Mark S. Eghrari is an attorney in private practice in Smithtown, New York. He has been in practice since 1988. Mark S. Eghrari provides extensive estate and tax planning services to individuals and businesses. Mr. Eghrari’s primary focus is helping clients avoid probate, minimize or eliminate Federal and State Estate taxes and protect their assets from the high cost of nursing care, if they become ill.