 Do It Yourself Legal Forms
Living Will Articles
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The Living Will - A Way to Plan for the Future
Some things are not easy to talk about. These include
illness, severe injury and death. These are delicate subjects
and people not only do not talk about them but they don't like to think
about them either. The important thing though, is, that by preparing in
advance for such events you can make sure that you receive the kind
– or extent – of medical treatment you want.
If you want to take full advantage of the inherent benefits of living
wills, you should at least have a serious talk with your family, your
close friends and your doctor. The most excellent approach would be to
discuss these matters in a reassuring and factual manner with all
interested parties.
This incredibly important conversation should include a clear statement
of your philosophy about health care and the things you would want done
in certain situations. In caseof the possibility that your wishes might
be faced with intense moral opposition from your immediate family
and/or friends, you may consider selecting or appointing someone whose
philosophies are more in line with your point of view as your health
care surrogate. In this way, you will be assured that your surrogate
will make decisions that are in accordance with your beliefs.
On the other hand, if you think that you want to speak to your family
or friends with the idea in mind that they also create a living will,
be sure to prepare a good explanation to back it all up. You should put
into plain words the importance of planning ahead and how these
documents could be of assistance in very bad situations.
Without living wills, families could be torn apart and wrecked
emotionally while trying to reach a consensus about what would be best
for their seriously ill loved one. If this possibility seems unbearable
for you to picture out, then make your mind up about whether to create
a living will or not. You can never tell what will happen to you a year
from now, next month, or perhaps tomorrow. So you might as well be safe
than sorry for not making the right choice as early as possible.
Taking Care of
the Paperwork
Since these documents are supposed to be legally binding, you should
make sure that everything is put in writing. Each state has its own set
of policies regarding this matter. The law regarding living wills in
one state, may not be consistent with that of another state.
You can get hold of the proper forms through your doctor or your health
care provider. You can also visit various sites on the Internet to
procure state-specific forms, complete with instructions on how you
should properly fill them out. In addition, a variety of organizations
– such as the National Hospital and Palliative Care
Organization – also offers appropriate living will forms that
are free of charge.
You can easily purchase complete Do It Yourself Living Will Kits online as well.
Then again, if you don’t mind shelling out some cash, you may
seek advice from an attorney about this important matter. This can be a
wise move, especially if you have plans of transferring to another
state – with a different set of rules concerning such legal
documents.
Once you have completed the proper forms, distribute complete copies of
the living will to your immediate family members, friends, and family
doctor. If you have appointed your own health care surrogate,
don’t forget furnish him or her with a copy as well.
On no account should living wills be stashed in a safe deposit box and
forgotten. Doing so will only make it harder for your loved ones to get
hold of the document when the need arises.
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