A living will is a legal document that allows people to make their wishes known regarding end-of-life care. Also known as advance directives, living wills in Bel Air, MD are, despite their name, not at all like a normal will. In fact, they have no power after the person has died, and pertain only to medical care. They can provide invaluable guidance to loved ones and health care professionals in the event that a person is unable to express their wishes regarding what kind of end-of-life care they want to receive.
It can be hard to give proper thought to issues that many perceive as being somewhat morbid, but without a living will, family members, loved ones and doctors are left guessing at what the person would have wanted. As living wills are legally binding documents, it’s a good idea to hire a lawyer to help with the drafting process. Many choose to do this at the same time as they create a last will and testament.
In order to be valid, living wills have to meet state requirements concerning witnesses and notarization. They can be revoked by the person who wrote them at any time and can come into effect immediately, or have a stipulation added that they should only be followed once a person is no longer able to communicate their wishes regarding medical treatment. living wills in Bel Air, MD can go into as much or little detail as the person creating them would like, but most include at the very least specific directives about what types of palliative care and extraordinary measures the person would like to see taken in the event of serious injury or illness.
This can take some of the burdens of making extremely difficult decisions off of loved ones. For example, knowing whether or not the person wants to be placed on life support, or even have cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed, can help a family, friends, and doctors, understand how to best respect the wishes of those who can no longer communicate them verbally. Interested in creating a living will? Michael S. Birch, Attorney at Law, can help. Browse the website for more information.
