A living will is also called an advance healthcare directive. Not to be confused with the will you create to designate how your assets will be distributed and who will take care of your children and pets when you die, a living will is all about the healthcare you want, and do not want, should you become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself. It is a way to help ensure that your wishes are honored, and it also prevents your loved ones from having to figure out what you might want and having to make those decisions for you. The laws are different in each state and constantly evolving, so pleas talk to an experienced estate planning attorney to make sure that your living will is enforceable and effective.
How Do You Feel About Life Support?
A living will lets you decide how far doctors go to keep you alive when you have a terminal illness or injury. To put it more bluntly, it takes the pressure off your loved ones when deciding whether it’s time to pull the plug. Even if you have told them yourself, there may be disagreements between relatives. And, it’s a hard decision to make for someone you love. By putting it in writing, you have made your wishes clear and it does not have to be a judgment call for those who are already grieving.
You can choose now whether you want doctors to do everything possible for as long as possible and hope for a miracle, or if you want to stay away from artificial life support altogether. It is up to you and your personal beliefs, if you take the opportunity to create an effective and enforceable living will.
It Can Be Detailed
Your living will can get specific. If you know you have a condition that may cause you to become incapacitated, you may know specifically which types of treatments you are comfortable with and which ones you want to reject. You can include provisions for pregnancy. And so much more. Your estate planning attorney can help you with the language to ensure that you create a document that will be effective and that your loved ones can use to assert your wishes and protect themselves.
To learn more about living wills, please search our directory for an experienced estate planning attorney in your state.
