A recent study has revealed that prenuptial agreements for pets are few and far between in Scotland with eight out of ten people thought to not have considered what happens to their pet.
Despite animal care being one of the aspect that is often argued about, a mere 4% of Scottish couples have put in place a prenuptial agreement that states who would get custody of the pet in the event of a relationship breakdown. According to the study, a prenup to just include pets would be more common for young people.
Although only 4% of the couples involved in the survey had a pet prenuptial agreement, 16% of all those surveyed stated that they would care about who got to care for the pet if they separated. Many of those surveyed also stated that they would worry that their pet could be used as a bargaining chip when negotiating any sort of settlement.
Tracey Maloney, Head of Private Family at The Co-operative Legal Services, who conducted the study said: “Pets are increasingly being seen as part of the family, and when relationships break down, it’s only at that point that couples begin to think about who will gain custody of their pet.
"A prenup agreement can help couples make these important decisions in advance, so that if the worst does happen, both parties are clear on who will gain custody of their pet.”