F. Paul Maloof, Esquire
A partner with Redmon, Peyton & Braswell LLP
Living Wills
In 2005 the world became sadly aware of the purpose and importance of living wills through the death of a young woman named Terry Schiavo. The need for living wills becomes clear in cases when a person who is hospitalized cannot express his or her own intentions, and a trusted person named in the living will was designated to make decisions regarding medical treatment. In Terry Schiavo's case her living will document was not well written, and had several inconsistencies in its use of language.
Such an important document must be clearly expressed to state the wishes of a person who may, at some point in time, be unable to speak for themselves in a life or death situation requiring a critical medical decision.
To avoid leaving critical medical decisions up to a total stranger, you should work with an experienced professional to craft a document that will be clear, consistent and legal.
Even if you already have a living will, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, has set strict standards about who can and cannot see or discuss your medical information, and it is critical to update all of your medical documents to bring them into compliance with this law.
F. Paul Maloof and his colleagues at Redmon, Peyton & Braswell LLP can assist you in the preparation of a living will. They can also assist you in setting up an irrevocable trust, elderly estate planning, and many other facets of estate planning. Please contact us by filling in the form below, or by calling us at (703) 684-2000.
F. Paul Maloof
510 King St., Suite 301
Alexandria, VA
22314-3132
Tel: 703-684-2000 Ext. 54