Chattels - How do the Courts treat the family dog and other belongings? [2025]

Regardless of the value of the matrimonial pot, it is often the treasured but not necessarily financially valuable items collected during the marriage and where they land up that exercise the parties’ minds the most. One of those treasured possessions is often the family dog and with whom it should live. Traditionally, regarded as a chattel, recent case law, suitable named FI -v- DO [2024] EWFC 383 (B) takes a fresh look at how to treat the much loved pet.

• What counts as a chattel?
• Treatment of Chattels generally
• What do the courts do if the parties cannot agree on who keeps what?
• How do we deal with disputed chattels in the case of unmarried parties?
• Are claims in conversion appropriate?

Learning aims and objectives:

• To consider making a checklist of items the client wishes to retain at an early stage
• If there is a dog/cat/horse that belongs to both parties or the family, to be able to deal with this sympathetically but in accordance with the legal principles
• To remember to consider not just the ownership of the pets but to have a plan for who is going to be responsible for the expenses of owning a pet such as insurance and any large expenditure not covered by pet insurance

This webinar is sponsored by:

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