Why You Need A Living Will
In the final part of our series on key estate planning documents (I promise - on to something more exciting next week), we will discuss why everyone needs a living will, also sometimes called an advanced medical directive. This document dictates what type of medical treatment you would like in various situations, and appoints someone to make medical decisions when you are unable to.
This document typically comes into play at the end of life – which may come quickly because of an accident, or over time as people age. Unfortunately, this document is usually given very little thought – and from experience, it has the critical answers that family are looking for in one of the most painful periods of time.
Source: LegalZoom
Common Q&A
(1) What type of decisions does a living will make? It answers questions like “which of the three siblings should decide what type of medications mom gets?” or “Does dad want to be kept on life support? To what extent?”
(2) When does it go into effect? It takes effect when you are in a severe medical state (as determined by state law) and unable to communicate your wishes
If you don’t dictate what should happen, a family member is left with the decision. That can take an immense emotional toll on that person, which can be exacerbated if that decision is not shared by the entire family.
If you would like to go back and review the other 4 key estate planning documents, I’ve provided links below.
Thank you for reading,
Alex
This blog post is not advice. Please read disclaimers.