What happens to the dog on divorce?

What happens to pets on divorce can be a very contentious issue.  As far as the law is concerned they are treated in the same manner as the furniture in the family home i.e. they go under the umbrella of chattels. 

In some cases, sadly, pets are used as weapons in settlement discussions.  Difficult decisions may also have to be made if the family home is being sold and the parties are moving into rental accommodation as it can be very hard to find rental accommodation that is pet friendly. 

Some separated couples do share the care of the family pet after divorce, but this is unusual and is entirely dependant upon goodwill between the parties. 

As a general rule if you want to keep the family pet you should not leave the family home without them.  As a last resort there have been cases where the court has been asked to determine what should happen to a family pet, but, in such cases, both parties can be expected to be heavily criticised for not being able to come to a sensible decision themselves. 

George Green’s Specialist Family and Divorce lawyers give advice regularly on divorce and the financial aspects of divorce. If you wish to discuss your matter please Jane Williams on 01384 340 528 (jwilliams@georgegreen.co.uk) at our Cradley Heath office. We represent clients from the West Midlands and beyond including Dudley, Stourbridge, Cradley Heath and Wolverhampton.