A living will is a legal document that a person uses to make known his or her wishes regarding life prolonging medical treatments. It can also be referred to as an advance directive, health care directive, or a physician’s directive. A living will should not be confused with a living trust, which is a mechanism for holding and distributing a person’s assets to avoid probate. It is important to have a living will as it informs your health care providers and your family about your desires for medical treatment in the event you are not able to speak for yourself. One disadvantage of a living will is that you are unaware at the time of drawing up such documents as to how science and technology will change the future treatment options available for some diseases and conditions.
A Power of Attorney is a document by which you, the principal, appoint and instruct an agent to carry out certain duties. Your agent need not be an attorney. For example, a spouse or trusted friend can act in this role. There are four types of Powers of Attorney.
To be effective, a Power of Attorney or a living will needs to be updated periodically to cover changing situations. If several such documents are drawn up, the most recent one is considered valid. You should cancel previous ones to prevent disputes.
A Power of Attorney or a Living Will does not mean that you give up your rights to act for yourself. A Power of Attorney or living will can be changed or revoked at any time. The main consideration for a Power of Attorney is to have peace of mind that someone you trust will carry out your duties or wishes when you are unable to do so.
26 Jul
