Pets may be man’s best friend. However, when spouses divorce, the state of Florida, USA considers pets as personal property. They belong to someone and are the responsibility of that owner. This means that in a divorce, it is necessary for the pets to be divided and assigned as all marital property. Although there isn’t an authority that would grant custody to both parties involved in the divorce, most of these issues are settled in court along with other personal property.
However, this doesn’t exactly mean that determining ownership of the pet is the same process as deciding who gets what property in a household. The courts are generally empathetic about emotional attachments of people and their pets. For this reason, the courts will consider these emotional ties.
In the past, when pets were divided, one spouse in the relationship would typically get to keep the pet while the other received some form of compensation. Although this process is still in motion in some places, currently courts have identified different ways of dividing pet ownership. This provides more opportunity for creative court solutions for pets.
Making a case for pet ownership:
If one of the spouses has deemed that there is a necessity for the pet to be in their lives, then a case needs to be made that the pet belongs to them only. Documentation of the time spent with the pet is the best process for this situation.
Animal wishes may also be a considerable factor. If the pet shows that there is more attachment to one spouse than the other, the spouse who receives the affection may be awarded the pet for “custody.”
While determining the division of property, child custody, and pet custody, it is vital to be able to know and comprehend all the relevant information regarding the entire divorce process. This task is impossible without a competent lawyer on your side. For this reason, making a selection from one of the best divorce lawyers in Orlando is vital.
Erin Morse Law firm is an Orlando based Law firm that offers some of the most competent and skillful lawyers to help divert the case where it needs to go to ensure client satisfaction.
