Over $75,000 was raised for the Milestones Autism Resources free autism help desk during its annual benefit celebration, “Reach for the Stars,” on April 4 at Pinstripes at Pinecrest in
Steve Wartenberg
Pets provide millions of families with love, companionship and loyalty.
“I see people all the time who think of their pets as their children,” says Jay Michael, a Columbus attorney who specializes in estate planning and trusts.
In some cases, these “children” can outlive their pet parents. This is why a growing number of people, regardless of their net worth, leave money to their pets in their wills, or create a pet trust as part of the estate-planning process.
“It just makes a lot of sense, depending on the type of animal you have and how old you are,” says Geoffrey Kunkler, a Columbus attorney who specializes in estate planning. He has helped several clients create a trust for their pets. “I have a client with a bird whose life span is 50 or 60 years and will almost certainly outlive my client. So, they want to make sure their bird is well cared for.”