An advance healthcare directive is a crucial part of any estate plan. If you want to be absolutely clear about what kind of medical treatment you would want in all types of situations, a Bergen County advance healthcare directive lawyer from our firm can help you draft such a document and make it easier for your family to care for you if you are incapacitated in some way.
What Do I Need to Make an Advance Healthcare Directive?
There are two important components of an advance healthcare directive. You should set up:
A durable healthcare power of attorney: This gives someone of your choosing the power to make healthcare decisions for you. Don’t worry about losing your autonomy though. You can set this up in such a way that it only kicks in when you have been incapacitated and you are unable to make decisions on your own or make your wishes clear. The person with this power is often called a healthcare proxy.
A living will: This is a document that tells doctors how you would want to be treated. If you are unable to express these wishes yourself, your healthcare proxy can refer to your living will to figure out what you would want.
What Kinds of Decisions Can I Address With My Directive?
Your advance healthcare directive can address all kinds of questions that could arise if you were incapacitated and in need of care. It can cover matters like:
- Which doctors and hospitals you would prefer
- What kinds of treatments and surgeries are acceptable to you
- Whether you would want treatments that keep you alive on life support, like treatment using a ventilator that can control your breathing for you
- How you would like to be treated if you are in a vegetative state
- What should happen after you pass away
- Whether you would want to donate your organs and tissue after passing away
What Happens If I Don’t Make an Advance Healthcare Directive?
Take a closer look at some of the matters outlined above. These can be difficult decisions to make on your own behalf, but think of how hard it could be to make these decisions for a loved one. Then think about how difficult it could make matters if multiple family members have their own ideas about what kind of healthcare someone would want.
When you do not make an advance healthcare directive, you are potentially paving the way for arguments and court battles over what kind of care you receive. This means stress for your family and the potential delay of care that you may want to receive. A directive makes your wishes clear and minimizes stress and in-fighting among loved ones.
Meet With Our Attorneys Today
If you want to make an advance healthcare directive of your own, we recommend meeting with our lawyers. You want to make sure that your document meets all legal requirements. So contact the Law Offices of Colin M. Quinn and schedule a consultation today. We’re ready to help you with all of your estate planning needs.
