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Think about how to handle pets and children during divorce

On Behalf of | Mar 1, 2019 | Child Custody & Parenting Time

Many people think of their pets as their children, but the courts tend to view them as property. This brings up a precarious point when you are going through a divorce. You will have to decide who is going to have the pets. If you have multiple animals, you might be able to divide them between both homes. One thing that might make this more difficult is if you have children.

Your children might be attached to the pets. There is an unusual way that you might be able to handle this situation. If there is only one pet, that animal might remain with the children. The upside to this is that the child doesn’t have to say bye to the pet when they leave one home. Plus, both adults will be able to spend time with the animal.

Whether you choose to split the time the animal spends at each home or not, you should ensure that there is consistency with the schedule. Pets are likely going to have a hard time adjusting to major changes, so doing what you can might help them.

If you do have children and can’t make it possible for the pet to go with the child from house to house, you will need to work with the child to help them adjust to new way of doing things. It might be challenging since they likely have an emotional connection to the pets.

Make sure that the agreement about the animals is covered in the divorce paperwork. If the pet will go with the child, you might consider adding in rules and guidelines in the parenting plan. This gives you something to review when you have questions about what is going to happen.

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