Legacies for companion animals have made the news many times in recent years, from the $12 Million that hotel mogul Leona Helmsley tried to leave her Maltese terrier in 2007, to the full range of support that Joan Rivers left her four dogs. While it is not often that you can pull solid life lessons from the tabloids, these stories offer great advice and guidance. They show how common it is becoming for owners to plan for the care of their pets in their estate plans. Keep reading to determine how you can apply their experiences to support your pet.
The Best Way to Protect Your Pet: The Pet Trust
In 2013, Wisconsin law added a provision allowing for the creation of trusts for the care of animals. This pet trust provides for ongoing payments to the named caregiver, along with specific care instructions that must be followed. Each trust includes as little or as much information as you wish, including: Continue reading
There is no question about it; lawyers are not cheap. The concern over costs often drives individuals to try handling certain legal tasks on their own. This is especially true in the realm of 
In a past Estate Planning post I discussed how beneficiary designations can be an effective tool to avoid Probate upon death. As a Wisconsin Estate Planning Attorney I often use a type of beneficiary designation to pass a home or other real estate to a person’s family members when that person dies. This beneficiary designation is established with a properly drafted Transfer on Death Deed, also known as a TOD Deed. A TOD Deed allows the owner of real property to execute a deed during his or her lifetime, which names the beneficiary or beneficiaries who will receive title to the property upon the owner’s death. This allows the real estate to be transferred to the beneficiaries without them having to go through the probate process.