PETRIARCH(TM): The Complete Guide to Financial and Legal Planning for a Pet's Continued Care

Protect the welfare and security of family pets and all animals.  This book provides the information you need to understand the legal concepts and practical applications of pet trusts.
Pet law, including, in particular, pet trusts and a relatively new and revolutionary instrument called the pet protection agreement, is continually evolving. Recent changes in estate law have transformed the way in which courts now deal with domestic animals. The shift is ongoing, and the trend is toward a much more enlightened view of pets that improves greatly on their legal status as property. These changes bring new responsibilities and new opportunities to accountants and financial and legal advisors who should now consider companion animals in a completely different light and advise their clients accordingly.

This book provides all the information you will need to understand these new legal concepts, and it outlines practical applications that will benefit your clients, their pets, and your practice. A companion CD includes questionnaires, forms, and templates that can be used by professional planners, trusted advisors, and clients to create legal documents that protect the welfare and security of family pets and all animals.

Topics covered include:

• Property Implications: Who Owns the Pet?
• The Pet Trust and Pet Protection Agreement
• Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy
• Wills: Gambling with a Pet’s Future
• Tax Implications of Pet Trusts, and much more

About the Author
Ms. Hirschfeld is a lawyer who concentrates in estate planning, elder law and animal law. She is a frequent author and lecturer and has been featured in media outlets including: The Today Show, Newsweek, The New York Sun, CNN Online and the Wall Street Journal.

Praise for PETRIARCH

“A well-designed pet trust or pet protection agreement can give you peace of mind and ensure the future care and well-being of your beloved companions.   If you share Rachel Hirschfeld’s passion about doing right by your pets, you’ll want to have the benefit of her expert knowledge on the best way to secure that outcome.”
—Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO, The Humane Society of the United States