Washington University Professor Frances Foster believes that the traditional concept of family is outdated and legal changes are needed to reflect how important pets are in peoples' lives.
"Trouble [Leona Helmsley's dog]-- and millions of American pets like her -- should inherit," she said in an article in the Florida Law Review.
"American inheritance law is trapped in an outdated family paradigm. That paradigm assumes that the decedent's closest relatives by blood, adoption or marriage are the most deserving recipients of the decedent's estate," she added.
But Foster said for many Americans today that is not the case because "their pets, not their human family members, are their nearest and dearest."
via www.reuters.com
Many people want to provide for their pets, but its not just about the money to keep them in a manner in which they are accustomed.
It can be just as tough a decision as picking a guardian for your children, but pets need guardians too. Can the pet guardian care for the pet? Do they already have pets that would be compatible?
