How to Decide Where Your Pets Go During Divorce

 Posted on November 15, 2024 in Divorce

Deciding who will keep your family pets can be a very emotional part of dividing your marital property. Pet lovers often struggle with deciding who a family pet should live with during their divorce. While you might have sentimental feelings about other pieces of marital property, the attachment you feel to your belongings is likely nothing like what you feel for your pet. Spouses sometimes resolve every other issue in their divorce and then find that they cannot agree on who keeps the pets. You have a lot of different options when it comes to choosing who your pet will live with. Many spouses continue to share their dog or cat’s time after they get divorced. An experienced Houston, TX divorce lawyer can help you find the right solution for your pets. 

What to Consider When Deciding Who Your Pets Stay With 

A few things you and your spouse should discuss when it is time to decide who keeps the pets include: 

• Whether time-sharing is practical - If you are considering dividing the dog’s time between your household, consider whether moving the pet back and forth between your residences is practical. Will you be able to drive to your ex’s home to drop off the dog - and see your ex briefly - every week for the rest of the dog’s life? 
• Who can better meet your pet’s needs? It is also important to consider your pet’s needs and who is in a better position to meet them. If you have a high-energy dog and one of you is a jogger, the dog may be better off with the more active spouse. 
• Is your child attached to the pet? - If your child loves your cat, keeping the pet with the child at all times is often a good solution. When you move the child between your homes, you move the cat with the child. This can also give your child a sense of stability and comfort.
• Whether the pet belonged to one spouse first - If one of you already had a snake when you started dating, it might be considered separate property, and it likely makes sense for the original owner to keep his or her pet. 
• Pet restrictions at a new residence - If one of you has moved into an apartment or is renting, you will need to look into whether his or her lease allows the type of pet you have. If pit bulls are banned at one party’s apartment complex, that spouse may not be able to take the dog. 
• Would separating your pets harm them? - Some spouses decide to split their pets up - one person keeps the dog, the other takes the cats. While this works well for some, especially if the pets did not get along well, it may be harmful for pets who have bonded to each other. 

Contact a Harris County, TX Divorce Lawyer 

The Cusic Law Firm, P.C. is committed to helping people secure the best possible outcome in their divorces. Our dedicated Houston, TX marital property division attorneys will strive to help you make an excellent plan for your pets. Contact us at 713-650-1866 for a free consultation.