What is a Living Will?

While you are not required to have a living will, this is something you may want to consider drafting as soon as possible.

In short, this is a legal document that allows you to express to doctors how you wish to be treated should you become incapacitated. With this, you are able to tell medical professionals if you want your life to be prolonged artificially should you be involved in an accident or struck with an illness.

Benefits of a Living Will

Despite the fact that there are many known benefits of a living will, many people never take the time to compose this type of document in a legal manner.

Here are several of the benefits associated with a living will:

1. Peace of mind. It is never fun to think about what could happen to you in the future concerning your health. However, with a living will you can at least give yourself peace of mind.

Not only will this allow you to sleep easier, but a living will goes a long way in making decisions easier on your loved ones should you find yourself in a bad situation and unable to make your own decisions on the spot.

2. Ability to maintain control. Although you may not be able to physically communicate your wishes, when you have a living will you know you will be treated in the appropriate manner.

If nothing else, this legal document allows you to direct your own care even if you are incapacitated.

3. Your loved ones will know how you feel. If you don’t have a living will, it can be a challenge for your loved ones to make decisions based on how medical professionals should treat you. Subsequently, this burden becomes too much for some people to deal with.

When creating your living will be sure to include those who are close to you, such as your spouse.

4. Medical professionals will have the instructions they need to make the right decisions. With a living will, a medical professional will have a clear idea of how care must be provided. In turn, it is much easier for the patient’s wishes to be followed and for loved ones to come to grips with the situation.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what a living will is all about, including the benefits, you should realize the importance of meeting with an attorney to draft this legal document.

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Stephen Waltar

Attorney at Legacy Estate Planning, LLC

Steve was born on March 15, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts. His true roots, however, are firmly planted in the Pacific Northwest. Steve grew up in Richland, Washington and moved to Seattle in 1980 to attend college (Seattle Pacific University, B.A., cum laude, 1984). He lived in Princeton, New Jersey for three years during graduate school (Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1988). Steve returned to Puget Sound to attend law school in Tacoma (University of Puget Sound/Seattle University, J.D., 1993). He was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1994. Steve is also admitted to practice in United States District Court, Western District of Washington.

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