Will Lawyer

Medical decisions are highly personal choices, and they are relatively easy to make when your mental faculties are still with you. But with the possibility of illnesses that can rob you of your decision making skills, how do you know that your personal wishes are being considered while family members are calling the shots about your healthcare? Before you are unable to establish these decisions in writing, it is important that you do all you can to protect yourself. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most basic options.

• Living wills. The first step in the process is to make sure you have a living will in place, with the assistance of an attorney, like a will lawyer in Schaumburg, IL. This document describes all of the things that are most important for you in terms of care when you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. The most basic information includes whether or not you want to be resuscitated or kept on life support. But it can go beyond that as well, up to and including what kind of funeral arrangements you would like.

• Medical power of attorney. Going hand in hand with the living will is your medical power of attorney. For most people, your spouse will automatically be the individual with whom medical facilities and professionals consult in the event that you cannot make your own decisions. But there may come a time when this is no longer possible. Selecting someone you trust to make these decisions for you can be critical to ensuring that your wishes are met.

• Advanced directives. In some states, these two things are combined to create a single legal document called an advanced directive. This is why it is important to work with a legal expert to make sure that you are creating and signing the correct information.

• Direct conversations. Beyond all of the legal documents that will help cement your wishes for the future, it is essential that you begin having conversations with your loved ones long before you have the need for invasive care. It can be uncomfortable, to be sure, but it is necessary. Talk to your spouse, your children, your siblings, or anyone else who may be involved in your long-term care or future medical interventions.

Have you considered the planning for your living wills or medical power of attorney? Call the experts such as Bott & Associates, Ltd. who can help you work through this process and provide peace of mind for your future.