A living will is a well written document that allows a person, who may be hospitalized or incapacitated, to express his or her own intentions regarding medical decisions and treatment. An Advance Directive regarding your desires for end-of-life care is vitally important in this day and age.
The need for a living will became clearer to everyone in 2005 through the death of a young woman named Terry Schiavo whose desires were not well-documented and had several inconsistencies in language. You never want a judge to decide your intentions.
A properly crafted living will needs to be clear, consistent, and legally formed. The person’s wishes must be understandable and the document conformed to the standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, regarding access to medical information.
Paul Maloof and his colleagues at Redmon, Peyton & Braswell 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 numberous other facets of estate planning.