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Medical facilities these days have life support systems which are able keep a person's body alive artificially for years, even after brain death or when the person is suffering tremendous pain.
A living will is used in conjunction with a medical power of attorney to provide clear instructions to doctors and family if you suffer an illness or injury which leaves you in an irreversible, vegetative state. In this document, you take away the tremendous responsibility from your loved ones who, already under a huge burden of emotional stress, may be forced to make the decision to discontinue your life support.
In the living will, sometimes known as the will to live, you provide instructions on whether you wish to be kept alive using life support systems or invasive medical techniques, or are allowed to pass away in a comfortable state without any life sustaining treatment or medical devices.
The instructions you provide are literally life or death. The document should be clear and cover every possibility and consideration: there should be no ambiguity. Using a web site which offers living wills free or free will forms on-line is not recommended in these circumstances as they are impersonal and might not provide the right questions and answers you need to draft the document correctly. Any confusion might not accomplish what you had intended and result in your premature death, or years on life support with no hope of recovery, draining your family's resources and leaving them emotionally exhausted.
There are many issues to consider when drafting your living will. For example, if you are Roman Catholic, or an Orthodox Christian, you may well wish to specify the denomination of the priest who prays over you, or performs the last rights.
A trained and experienced attorney will guide you through the process, discuss current issues with living wills, cover all possible circumstances, and help you to make the informed decisions required when drafting the document.
When drafting your living will, you might also consider a medical power of attorney and financial power of attorney.
A medical power of attorney allows you to choose who will represent your interests if you become incapacitated due to illness or injury. This is different to the "Living Will," which can limit the rights of medical personnel to resuscitate or use invasive procedures to keep you alive.
Similar to the medical power of attorney, the financial power of attorney allows you to choose who will manage your finances if you become incapacitated due to illness or injury. It eliminates the possibility of your spouse or other designated person having to ask a court for authority over your financial affairs.
Attorney William Engelhaupt is an experienced estate planning lawyer, able to advise you and draft the living will document to insure your wishes are carried out. Based in Sugar Land, Texas, Attorney William Engelhaupt helps clients located in Fort Bend County, Harris County and Brazoria County including Sugar Land, Missouri City, Stafford, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fresno, and the Houston metropolitan area. If you would like to discuss the drafting your living will, or would like to learn more, contact him now for a free, no-obligation consultation. Please call, or click here to send an email
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