Is a living will right for you?

On Behalf of | Mar 17, 2020 | Estate Planning

While planning your estate, the idea of making a living will may occur to you. However, for many people, it is not always obvious what exactly a living will is, or how it can helpful for your beneficiaries if you are unresponsive or even in a coma.

The presence of a living will in a precarious situation lets others can honor your end-of-life choices.

Origin

According to FindLaw, the concept of a living will came about due to medical advances in recent years, which allowed patients to live in vegetative states for even longer than previously thought. While contemplating how to deal with this issue, some came up with the idea to make a document beforehand detailing what choices you would make in a life or death situation if you were unable to respond or reply to those around you.

Guidelines

In order for a living will to be valid, a few components must be true. You must be a fully competent adult who made the choice to write a living will freely. If a doctor does not follow your instructions, it leads to dismissing them in favor of another doctor who will follow what you have written. In addition, it is also possible to designate a third party, such as a family member, to make decisions on your behalf.

Choosing a living will

It is important to note that this decision is extremely personal. Even though the idea of being unresponsive or in a vegetative state may be emotionally taxing to contemplate, it can give you peace of mind to know you have a plan in place. If you find yourself wanting to leave such instructions, you should document them in a living will in the case of an emergency.

FindLaw Network