Hamilton Living Wills Lawyer

Hamilton Living Wills Lawyer

Most people know what a will (also known as a last will and testament) is. But not many people know about living wills. Living wills are confusing to many people. Fortunately, a qualified living wills lawyer can help you understand everything about living wills. Whatever your question, a living wills lawyer can answer it. Apart from answering the many questions you have about living wills, a lawyer can also help you create your living will. 

What Is a Living Will?

This is a document in which you dictate what will happen to your health if you are no longer able to make those decisions for yourself. You might find yourself unable to make crucial medical decisions for yourself if, for example, you suffer a terminal illness, such as cancer, an injury, such as a traumatic brain injury, or get into a coma. A living will describe the medical treatments that an individual wishes to be used on them to keep them alive. It also describes the medical remedies that an individual does not wish to be used on them to keep them alive.

There are a variety of medical or end-of-life care decisions you can address in a living will. Some of these decisions include;

• Mechanical ventilation
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Tube feeding
• Palliative care
• Dialysis
• Antibiotics and antiviral medications

A living will give doctors and family members guidance if an individual cannot express their wishes. When there is no living will, doctors and family members usually have to guess what an individual would have wanted. This often leads to problems. For example, disputes may arise if family members cannot agree on what medical treatments should be used/should not be used on a person. Sometimes, these disputes end up in the courtroom.

What Are the Advantages of Having a Living Will?

One benefit of a living will is that it can ensure that, even if you are unable to tell people about your wishes directly, you still get the medical treatment you want and are not given the medical treatment you don’t want. Apart from that, a living will relieve your caregivers of the burden of having to make tough decisions about your health and ensure that disputes don’t arise because your loved ones cannot agree on what choices should be made. Additionally, a living will can provide you peace of mind. When you know that if, for example, you become terminally ill or get into a coma, you will receive the medical care you want, you are bound to have peace of mind.

Who Needs a Living Will?

After knowing what a living will is, you might find yourself asking the question, “Do I need a living will?” After all, I am still very young. You should know that you aren’t the only one if you are thinking this. Many of those that know about living wills assume that living wills are for older people. Well, the reality is that you can benefit from having a living will, regardless of your age. This is because a living will not only cover illnesses but also covers unexpected injuries. And even young people can get into accidents and suffer unexpected injuries.

In summary, all adults at least eighteen years of age need a living will and can benefit from having one.

Is there a Difference Between a Will and a Living Will?

There is a big difference between a will and a living will. A will informs people about what you want to happen after you die. For example, your will indicates who you want to be the personal representative of your estate after you die and how you want assets to be distributed among your loved ones. This means a last will and testament goes into effect only after you die. On the other hand, a living will inform people about what you want to happen when you cannot make crucial medical decisions for yourself and not what you want to happen after your death. Unlike a will, a living will go into effect when a person is still alive.

Do You Need Both a Will and a Living Will?

You can have a living will and a last will. Just because you have a last will and testament does not mean you don’t need a living will. The two are different but important ways to help you prepare for the future.

How To Write a Living Will

When writing a living will, you will want to ask yourself several questions. Some of the questions you will want to ask yourself include;

• Do you want to receive or not to receive certain pain management medications or procedures?
• Is there a situation where you would refuse treatment?
• When it comes to feeding and breathing, are there some interventions you would want and others you would not?
• If you suffer an illness that has no cure, would you want to receive treatment or not?
• If you fall ill, what medical procedures should be carried out?

After asking yourself these and many other questions, the next wise step would be to contact a qualified living wills lawyer and have them help you write your living will. Some people create living wills using software applications but you should allow a lawyer to help you. When you need to create estate planning documents, such as a living will, working closely with an experienced lawyer who can give you all the information you need, and insights into various scenarios is vital.

Without a living will, caregivers and family members may make decisions that you wouldn’t have wanted to be made. Also, without a living will, your loved ones might end up fighting each other because they cannot agree on what needs to happen. With a living will, you can tell caregivers and your family members about what you feel about medical measures used to prolong your life, even when you are not able to communicate with them directly. To speak to a qualified Hamilton living wills lawyer and start working on your living will, call (856) 672-7248.