Who Gets Custody of the Pets in Divorce?

When you find yourself in the throes of divorce, many things need to be considered, including the emotional bonds your pets have formed. In today’s divorce landscape, new laws recognize pets as more than just property and take into account these emotional connections, helping you feel understood and supported.

In traditional court-litigated divorces, judges used to treat pets as personal property. That meant your beloved dog or cat got assigned to one person like a piece of furniture. Someone won, someone lost, and your pet potentially lost contact with someone they loved.

Pet custody laws changed in 2019. Now judges have to consider what’s best for your pet, similar to child custody decisions. The court considers who has been the main caregiver, who handles vet visits, and the emotional bond between each person and the pet.

Collaborative divorce offers far more options instead of fighting in court, you and your partner work together with trained professionals to create arrangements that actually make sense for your pet’s situation.

Here are custody options you can explore through collaborative divorce:

• Joint Custody: Share your pets on a schedule that works for both of you.
• Primary Custody with Visitation – The pet lives full time with one person while the other gets regular visits.
• Shared Financial Responsibility – Each person contributes to the vet bills, food, and grooming expenses.
• Holiday and Vacation Arrangements – Decide together who will care for the pets during special times.

A collaborative divorce team helps divorcing couples have these conversations with transparency, respect and understanding. This team will guide you and your spouse in creating a plan for future emergency care, medical decisions, and concerns that may arise. It’s best to make plans ahead of time – it provides less confusion and emotional stress for everyone.

Our team at Family Divorce Solutions is a group of well respected, experienced and trained attorneys, mental health professionals, financial professionals and child specialists who work as a team to reach a complete and satisfactory resolution for everyone involved.

Contact us today to learn how we can help your family with pet custody arrangements.

Note: This information is general in nature and should not be construed as legal/financial/tax/or mental health advice. You should work with your attorney, financial, mental health or tax professional to determine what will work best for your situation.