11 April 2025
Disputes over pets during divorce are on the rise. In this week’s NLJ, Shivi Rajput, partner at Stowe Family Law, looks at recent developments in the law.
Rajput writes: ‘The state of Alaska was the first in the US to require courts to consider the wellbeing of animals in divorce cases, empowering judges to award “joint custody” in a manner similar to child arrangements.
‘England and Wales may now be on the cusp of a similar shift, as evidenced by the recent case of FI v DO.’ This case, in the family courts last year, involved an acrimonious dispute over the family’s golden retriever.
Rajput covers the case in detail and suggests ideas for reform of the law, given the importance of pets in family life.RELATED ARTICLES
