Skip to content
RONALD KAUFFMAN
  • 2 South Biscayne Blvd.
    Suite 3400, Miami, FL 33131
  • (305) 374.0937
    Get a Case Consultation
  • Get a Case Evaluation
  • Home
  • About
  • Practice Areas
    • Divorce
    • Family Law
    • Alimony
    • Child Custody And Time-Sharing
    • Child Support
    • Family Mediations
    • Interstate International Custody Issues
    • Paternity
    • Prenuptial And Postnuptial Agreements
  • Request Consultation
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • Videos
RONALD KAUFFMAN > BLOG > Divorce > Big News on Pet Custody

Big News on Pet Custody

Posted by admin on January 30, 2017 with 0 Comment
Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
Linkedin

By The Law Offices of Ronald H. Kauffman of Ronald H. Kauffman, P.A. posted in Divorce on Monday, January 30, 2017.

Who gets the dog in a divorce? Although pets are more like family than property, divorce courts have treated them like chattel. But in a new twist, Alaska changed its law to allow for pet custody rights.

As the Washington Post reports, although pet custody battles are often passionate and sometimes truly wacky, courts think of them more prosaically: as part of the “property distribution” in a divorce.

As of January 17, 2017, courts in Alaska will begin granting custody of pets when their humans divorce. This is a dramatic change, because four-legged family members are traditionally classified as “property.”

The amendment makes Alaska the first state in the country to require courts to take “into consideration the well-being of the animal” and to explicitly empower judges to assign joint custody of pets. In a blog post, the Animal Legal Defense Fund called the well-being provision “groundbreaking and unique.”

I’ve written about Florida and pets in divorces before. Your chocolate lab may be considered a member of the family to you, but under Florida law, “Brownie” is merely chattel – personal property to be divided in divorce. A judge lacks authority to grant custody or award visitation or a timesharing schedule to personal property.

As the Alaska amendment shows, there is a shift occurring in our society in which the pet is considered more a member of the family and becomes a part of the battle when the family disintegrates.

Some people argue that pets should stay with the children; others think they should remain with whoever purchased them, or whoever was their primary caretaker.

Often couples purchase pets with shared money, but rarely do people want to be “bought out” of their share of Fido, as might happen with a car or a house.

The Alaska amendment was sponsored by former representative Liz Vazquez (R) and the late representative Max Gruenberg, a Democrat and family lawyer who told the Associated Press in 2015 that he’d once handled a divorce that resulted in joint custody of a sled dog team.

The Alaska bill also allows courts to include pets in domestic violence protective orders and requires the owners of pets seized in cruelty or neglect cases to cover the cost of their shelter.

The Washington Post article is here.

More from rhkauffman.com

  • Pet Custody in Tennessee
  • Pet Custody in China
  • Pet Custody Gets Approval in Spain
  • Pet custody is going to California
  • Pet Alimony?
  • Pet Custody News
  • Divorce
  • pet custody
Written by admin

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Changing Property Division Law in the UK
  • Calling a Stepparent Dad
  • The Importance of Divorce Jurisdiction
  • Divorce May be Coming to the Philippines
  • Inflation and Your Divorce

Categories

  • Agreements
  • Alimony
  • annulment
  • Assisted Reproductive Technology
  • Attorneys
  • Attorneys' Fees
  • Board Certified Lawyer
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Partnerships
  • Domestic Violence
  • Equitable Distribution
  • Family Law
  • Family Mediation
  • First Amendment
  • Grandparent Rights
  • Health and Fitness
  • International Child Custody
  • International Divorce
  • International Law
  • Interstate custody
  • Interstate Divorce
  • Marital Debt
  • Marriage
  • Mediation
  • Modifications
  • Name Changes
  • Parenting plan
  • Paternity
  • Pet Custody
  • Planning for Divorce
  • Property Division
  • Real Estate
  • Religion
  • Religious Divorces
  • Relocation
  • Same Sex Marriage & Divorce
  • Same sex/GLBTA
  • Separation
  • Speeches
  • Taxes and divorce
  • Timesharing/Visitation
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012

Get driving directions and visit the office

Ronald H. Kauffman, Professional Association

2 South Biscayne Boulevard
Suite 3400
Miami, FL 33131

Phone: (305) 374.0937

Fax: 305-374-5428

Follow me on my social networks

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

 

 

Map Data
Map data ©2018 Google
Map DataMap data ©2018 Google
Map data ©2018 Google
Terms of Use

Report a map error

 

 

 

 

Map

 

Satellite

 

The law firm of Ronald H. Kauffman, A Professional Association, represents clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and throughout Miami-Dade County, Broward County and much of South Florida.
© 2018 by Ronald H. Kauffman, P.A. All rights reserved. Disclaimer | Privacy Policy.
Family Lawyer • Divorce Lawyer • Custody Lawyers

Ronald H. Kauffman has practiced law in Florida since 1993, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1992.

Latest News

  • Changing Property Division Law in the UK
  • Calling a Stepparent Dad
  • The Importance of Divorce Jurisdiction
  • Divorce May be Coming to the Philippines

Contact Us

2 South Biscayne Boulevard
Suite 3400
Miami, FL 33131

(305) 374-0937

ron@rhkauffman.com

The law firm of Ronald H. Kauffman, A Professional Association, represents clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and throughout Miami-Dade County, Broward County and much of South Florida.
© 2020 by Ronald H. Kauffman, P.A. All rights reserved.
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy