The New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators had an entire hour-long webinar on pets this week. Believe it or not there can be a lot of areas to address when it comes to divorce and pets. The webinar was helpful in that it reconfirmed that the divorce mediators at Westfield Mediation, LLC, cover all the bases during the process of divorce mediation. It is recommended that couples address what is happening with their pet when they are getting divorced. Sometimes this is a two-minute conversation during the divorce mediation process and sometimes it is quite lengthy, depending on your circumstances and desires.
At minimum, two general areas to address regarding your pet are who has health care decision making power and who is financially responsible for the costs associated with your pet. These areas sometimes go hand in hand and can be a one-time expense or an ongoing cost. Perhaps your pet has a one-time $300 ear infection. Or maybe your pet needs a daily insulin shot for diabetes that costs $100/month, every month. There are also more predictable costs like monthly heart-worm pills and a once a year check-up at the veterinarian. And end of life decisions for your pet are never easy. Do you want this to be a joint decision or does only one person have the authority to make that call?
A lot of issues came up during the webinar. And you can make the pet section of your divorce agreement as detailed as you see fit for your situation. One of the many benefits of divorce mediation is that you have the power to create your own divorce agreement that reflects your decisions. Pets included.
For more information on divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M. Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
At minimum, two general areas to address regarding your pet are who has health care decision making power and who is financially responsible for the costs associated with your pet. These areas sometimes go hand in hand and can be a one-time expense or an ongoing cost. Perhaps your pet has a one-time $300 ear infection. Or maybe your pet needs a daily insulin shot for diabetes that costs $100/month, every month. There are also more predictable costs like monthly heart-worm pills and a once a year check-up at the veterinarian. And end of life decisions for your pet are never easy. Do you want this to be a joint decision or does only one person have the authority to make that call?
A lot of issues came up during the webinar. And you can make the pet section of your divorce agreement as detailed as you see fit for your situation. One of the many benefits of divorce mediation is that you have the power to create your own divorce agreement that reflects your decisions. Pets included.
For more information on divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M. Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
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