Advance Health Care Directives
Health Care Advance Directives include Living Wills and Health Care Surrogate Designations.
Health Care Surrogate Designation:
This acts like a power of attorney but for your medical decision making (and only if you can’t make decisions for your self). The Health Care Surrogate steps into your shoes to make important, and sometimes, not so important health care decisions in the event you no longer have the capacity to give informed consent for medical treatment. This document is also sometimes referred to as a Medical Power of Attorney.
Living Will:
The Living Will sets out your wishes for the type of medical interventions you want and those you don’t want in the event you are nearing the end of your life. The most well know of these types of interventions include artificial hydration and nutrition. The Living Will is not the same thing as a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate Order). You can read the story I covered here about DNR’s.
During your Estate Planning Consultation, we’ll review your unique situation and analyze options with you. We will also provide you with valuable tips for how you can avoid common planning pitfalls and try to organize your estate to avoid probate.