Who Gets the Dog in a Florida Divorce?

When couples divorce people expect to hear about fights over who gets what car, who gets what house, etc… However, more and more divorcing couples are fighting over the family dog. Both Britney Spears and Drew Barrymore battled over custody of their respective pooches when divorcing. This is to be expected though, since families seem to now consider their pets as integral parts of their family.

I myself, as a Neptune Beach Divorce Attorney, have seen numerous divorcing clients fight for custody of their dog. But the problem is Florida law views pets as chattel or personal property. For the most part Florida judges typically will not view a family pet as a member of the family, but will instead view Fido as nothing more than personal property, such as a car or boat, that needs to be equitably divided. Currently, only four states (California, Illinois, Maine & New York) view pets as more than personal property, but not in every circumstance.

Here at Law Office of David M. Goldman we are all dog lovers and even bring our dogs to the office on Fridays. My dog Lily is even pictured above. So should you live in the Neptune Beach or surrounding area and are seeking a divorce but don’t want to give up your dog contact a Neptune Beach Divorce Attorney today to schedule a free consultation.