You may have heard of the last will or last will and testament, but this is not the only type of will that is used in the field of estate planning. Another type of will that everyone should have is a living will.
A living will in Smithtown NY is an advance directive for health care. With this legal device you express your wishes regarding the utilization of life-support measures in New York.
It is possible that you could fall into a terminal condition and become unable to communicate. People who are in this position can sometimes be kept alive indefinitely through the utilization of ventilators and/or artificial hydration and nutrition.
Different individuals would have different preferences; there are no absolutes when it comes to the correct course of action. With a living will you state your wishes so that physicians will know how you want them to proceed should this circumstance befall you.
It is important to have a living will in place even if you are a relatively young adult. You never know what the future holds, and sadly people of all ages do sometimes become catastrophically injured in accidents. Others suffer from unexpected illnesses that render them unable to communicate.
If you do not have a living will in place your closest relative would be asked to make this decision if it was to become necessary. Imagine being placed in this position. If you are a young adult who is not married, your parents would be the decision-makers.
It would be extremely difficult to tell doctors to remove the life-support measures that are keeping your child alive. At the same time, you may feel as though the adult child would not want to go on in this condition. This is an excruciating dilemma for a parent.
If you are married your spouse would be in the same position.
Regardless of your age and the relationship that you have with your next of kin, this is a decision that each one of us should make individually. It is not a choice that someone else should be forced to make in your behalf without any input from you.
A living will is a necessary advance health care directive. In addition to a living will, you should also execute a durable power of attorney and a health care proxy to prepare for the possibility of incapacitation.
With these devices you name agents who would be empowered to make medical and financial decisions in your behalf should you become incapacitated. You do not have to name the same person to make each respective type of decision.
Every responsible adult should have a comprehensive estate plan that includes an incapacity component. If you are currently going through life without a plan, feel free to contact our firm schedule a free consultation.
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