A Legal MinuteCautionary tales
Why Pets Cannot Have Estates Under Arizona Law
The short answer
Under Arizona law, pets are considered personal property and do not have an estate of their own. That is why, in one inquiry discussed on the podcast, the firm did not hold a consultation. This is how the law sees pets, even though many owners, the speaker included, see them as family.
From the full episode Real-Life Probate Horror Stories & Lessons Learned (20:29).
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Transcript
I will be frank that this was somebody who contacted my firm, and we never did a consultation. The reason for that is pets do not have an estate. Pets are considered personal property under Arizona law, which I was very careful to be like, this is how the law sees it.
I understand that your animal is your baby. I totally — I'm on board. I have two cats myself. They are my little babies. I would be scared to disclose how much money I've spent on vets for them, to keep them going because they've made some — you know, eaten something they shouldn't or whatever. They are our babies, and I totally understand that.
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