Living wills need to be written by experienced estate planning lawyers. There are many nuances of living wills and the laws regarding living wills vary by state. If you decide to work with an attorney to create a living will, there are a couple of things you need to know.
- You will need to regularly update your living will. Many life circumstances can necessitate an update to your living will. If you move states, decide to assign medical power of attorney to another individual, or if you decide to change your mind on some of your directives, you will need to update your living will.
- Living wills can be as specific as you want. End of life care is more than just deciding whether or not a person should remain on life support. Living wills can dictate preferred treatments or other care in addition to the ultimate decision of life support.
- You can dictate how long you want life-sustaining treatment. For people who don’t want to be on prolonged life-sustaining treatment but don’t also don’t want life-sustaining treatment taken away immediately, living wills can specify how long you would like to be on life-sustaining treatment. If you would like this treatment for a week or a month, your living will can detail the duration you specify.
- Your living will can also include your wishes regarding organ donation. If you would like to donate your organs or donate your body to science, you can and should specify this in your living will.
- You need to make sure loved ones know where your living will is located. A living will does no good if your loved ones can’t find it. Make sure someone or preferably several people know where it is located, so they can find it if necessary.
Get Help From An Experienced Living Will Attorney
At Hensley Krueger PLLC, our attorneys have helped many clients obtain peace of mind by creating living wills. We have the experience and attention to detail needed to make sure your living will is clear, enforceable, and thorough. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our living will attorneys.
