Skip to main content

Fighting for Pet Custody in Court

Fighting for Pet Custody in Court

Divorce is not pretty. We’ve all heard the heart-wrenching stories of custody battles over children, but less commonly talked about are the fights over who will keep the family pet. More and more couples are ending up in court, battling over their pets. According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 27% of the lawyers they surveyed noticed an uptick in the numbers of couples fighting over pet custody in the previous five years. Dogs seemed to ignite the most conflict, as 88% of the court cases involved pups. Cats trailed far behind at 5%; horses were involved in 1% of the cases; and the “other” category, including snakes and more, made up 6%. 
There are many laws that safeguard our children and ensure they get the best care and support in custody decisions. However, protections for pets are non-existent. In divorce agreements, pets are considered to be personal property or a possession, like fine china or a couch, and, typically, the pet ownership would go to the spouse who initially paid for their animal companion. Recently, Alaska, California and Illinois passed legislation to ensure that pets are treated differently than property, and that their well-being gets taken into consideration during the custody battle.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Breaking Point Before Divorce

  The Breaking Point Before Divorce The story of the final breaking point leading to my divorce with an abusive husband. By  PhoenixRising   Updated: March 30, 2023 Categories:  Considering Divorce ,  Inspirational Stories and Advice ,  Preparing for Divorce It’s Saturday morning in October in the Northeast. The wind blowing through the open bay windows is crisp and carries hints of freshly brewed coffee from the kitchen downstairs. It’s 7 A.M. and the baby is sleeping, the house is quiet. Although I was up for several feedings though out the night, the morning is welcoming and promising of a fresh start on a new day. This is the story of my breaking point before divorce. My Breaking Point Before Divorce This Saturday begins as any normal weekend; my husband left for work at 5am, 45 minutes away in the city. He slept a peaceful 9 hours despite our daughters’ screaming outbursts throughout the night; not like he has ever gotten up to help, anyway.  I tiptoe out of my bedroom where our p

Southside's Top Child Support Lawyers

  MLG LAW GROUP 121 West Wacker Drive Suite 1404 Chicago, IL. 60601 http://www.mlglawgroupillinois.com/ #letsguide How do you prove a parent unfit in Illinois? How do I prove the other parent is unfit? Abandonment. Habitual substance abuse problems. Physical or emotional abuse. Mental illness or instability. Putting the children in an unsafe living environment. Being incarcerated. Not being interested in the children's welfare. Neglect.

Managing Emotional Hot Buttons Can Help You Reduce Conflict: Here’s How To Do It

  Managing Emotional Hot Buttons Can Help You Reduce Conflict: Here’s How To Do It If you're looking to minimize conflict and move toward compromise, anticipating the issues that will likely trigger you and your spouse / ex will help you de-escalate the situation.  By  Andra Davidson   Updated: April 07, 2023 Categories:  Children's and Parenting Issues after Divorce ,  Co-Parenting after Divorce ,  Coping with Divorce ,  Divorce Process ,  Divorce Recovery Reducing Emotional Hot Buttons What is a Hot Button? According to Merriam-Webster, a  Hot Button is an emotional or controversial issue  or concern that triggers an immediate, intense reaction. Managing them can have a significant positive impact on the process and outcome of divorce. Blame it on our Lizard Brain Our “Lizard Brain” is the ancient survival mechanism that manages our fight/flight response when our ego, image, or self-esteem is threatened. When this part of the brain kicks in our reflexive response is usually t