Exploring The Benefits Of A Living Will
One of the most beneficial estate planning tools that is available to you is a living will. Unlike many estate planning tools, the use of a living will can benefit everyone equally, regardless of their social or economic status. This is because while many estate planning documents address the need to tend to your assets in the event of an emergency or to dispose of these assets in the event of your death, a living will addresses your need for medical care if you should ever become seriously injured or ill. If you have yet to consider the use of a living will, the information below can help you to discover just how beneficial this estate planning document can truly be.
No Need To Burden Family Members
Making serious medical decisions that could mean the difference between life and death can be a huge burden to place on your family members. After all, even if your loved ones are aware of your medical care preferences, it can be difficult to honor your wishes when they are responsible for denying you the medical care that could save your life. With the use of a living will, you can avoid putting this type of burden on your loved ones by leaving advance directives that your doctors can rely on when deciding whether or not to provide certain types of care, such as life support.
Ability To Make Instant Decisions
Many life saving medical efforts will be time sensitive. For instance, if you require dangerous surgery after being involved in a serious accident, a failure to perform this surgery quickly could result in the loss of this treatment option. This is why it is so important for doctors to receive a decision regarding the administration of care as quickly as possible in an emergency. Unfortunately, your next of kin may not always be available to make these immediate decisions. After all, there is no way to know exactly when an emergency will occur.
The use of a living will allows you to make instant decisions regarding your medical care, even if there is no one to accompany you to the hospital and you are not competent to make these decisions in the moment. With a living will, your physician will know exactly what type of care you do want, and what type of care you do not want, even when there is no one there to provide consent for these procedures.
In Conclusion
There are benefits that come along with having a living will. Unfortunately, unless this document has been drafted and filed by a licensed attorney, you may find that your living will is not the legally binding document that you thought it was. In order to avoid this problem and begin enjoying the peace of mind that a living will should provide, be sure to contact a reputable estate attorney such as Eloise Taylor P.A. in your local area once you are ready to draft your living will.
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