Soft Landing Divorce Podcast 🇨🇦

Navigating Pet Custody in Divorce: Beyond Pets as Property

Discover how pet custody disputes are shaking up family court reform, with pets as property often leading to emotional heartbreak in divorce pet disputes. In this eye-opening episode, explore why Ontario family law treats pet ownership in divorce like dividing furniture, and learn about mediation for pets as a smarter path to shared pet custody and pet guardianship. Uncover stories of high-stakes battles and emerging trends like best interest of pet considerations, highlighting the push for reform in pet custody laws to recognize the emotional bond with pets like children.

Key Takeaways

• Pets are legally classified as property in Ontario family law, making pet custody disputes akin to dividing assets like a car or sofa, with courts often dismissing cases to avoid overload and suggesting sales as a last resort.
  
• Emerging trends in pet custody include treating pets more like children, with some courts awarding shared pet custody, pet visitation, and even alimony, or keeping pets with children for a calming influence during divorce transitions.
  
• Mediation for pets and alternative dispute resolution offer a compassionate, cost-effective way to resolve pet ownership in divorce, avoiding court battles and ensuring agreements based on the best interest of the pet and emotional bonds.
  
• Family court reform is needed to address losing a pet in divorce, as judges warn against overloading systems with pet sold in divorce cases, pushing for private solutions like arbitration over adversarial fights.
  

Featuring

Ken Maynard: Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and Accredited Family Mediator guiding couples through separation and divorce since 2010 using his Soft Landing Divorce Settlement Method for collaborative, cost-effective resolutions.
Sarah Bates: Certified Divorce Specialist and founder of Naked Divorce Filer by DTSW, helping clients file uncontested divorces affordably with over a decade in family law, focusing on drama-free processes.

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