will be needed and how it should be spent, and the name of the person that has agreed to act as trustee. A plan for a pet can be general or detailed. It’s not a good idea to make the pet caretaker the trustee, because the trustee is responsible for enforcing the plan and making certain that the caretaker is following the previous owner’s instructions. Otherwise, the trustee is charged with finding a new caretaker that will follow the instructions in the trust document and redirecting the funds to them. A pet trust does not have to be funded until the owner has passed. The easiest way to fund a pet trust is to name the trustee as the recipient of a bank account, a certificate of deposit or an insurance policy. The funds then are immediately available for the care of a pet, according to the instructions contained in the trust document. With written plan in hand, the next step is to meet with an attorney to develop it into a legally enforceable trust document. If the basic plan is already in writing, the lawyer should be able to state a reasonable price to draft the trust. Or, a pet owner may choose to purchase a guide on how to create a pet trust. For more information, visit CreateA PetTrust.com and see The Pet Plan and Pet Trust Guide, by Kimberly A. Colgate. It explains, in detail, how to create a pet trust and includes a fillin-the-blank pet trust document. Colgate is a practicing trust attorney in Sarasota, FL. Contact her at 941927-2996 or KColgate@FLLawyer.com. natural awakenings
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