Most people are familiar with the Last Will, which is a document one leaves to navigate matters of inheritance after their death. The Last Will is a fundamental component of estate planning, but a comprehensive estate plan contains so much more. The Living Will is another legal document that gives instructions for making decisions in life-and-death situations during your lifetime. Unlike other estate planning documents, the living will has nothing to do with the supervision, division, and distribution of your wealth. However, this document is of utmost importance, and it’s time you know why.

How does a Living Will work?

Now you might wonder that why a person would need an estate planning document to take affect while they’re alive. The thing is that even when you are breathing, the condition of your health may render you incapable of making important decisions concerning the wellbeing of you and your loved ones. The Living Will becomes purposeful when the creator becomes incapacitated due to an illness or disability. A person’s mental and physical health declines with age; there comes a time when they can no longer communicate their wishes or understand what is best for them.

The living will is essentially known as a healthcare or medical directive, since it determines what should happen to a person who is unconscious, unsound, or under life-threatening circumstances. For example, you can refuse to be resuscitated or put on artificial life support is you fall into a coma. There are several medical treatments that prolong the life of someone suffering from a terminal illness. However, some of these procedures may have a very high risk factor or be a source of extreme discomfort for the patient.

Nobody wants to imagine themselves in a disabled position, which is why many people ignore the significance of the living will. The document allows you to plan for tough and challenging times while you can, thereby avoiding conflict and complications in the aftermath. 

The Benefits of a Living Will

The living will or medical directive will allow you to have a say in what kind of healthcare you should and should not receive. If you do not leave any instructions for such critical situations, the healthcare providers will turn to your family for answers. The people closest to you will be burdened by this responsibility; they might not be able to let go when its time, and perhaps unknowingly put you through painful endeavors. When you make the decisions beforehand, the doctor has to respect your wishes and your loved ones are able to make peace with your demise.

If your family has a history of life-threatening diseases or mental disorders involving cognitive degeneration, you must consider creating a Living Will as soon as possible. Estate Planning Attorney in Newport Beach, CA, can help you establish an estate plan that serves all your needs and protects your family in the worst case scenarios. You cannot predict what the future holds, thus it is impossible to plan for everything. You can establish generalized guidelines regarding how you prefer to live and die, which is usually sufficient to make things easier for people who love and care for you.

You may designate someone sensible and trustworthy to make decisions on your behalf as well. The end result is that healthcare providers cannot perform medical treatments that oppose your moral and/or religious beliefs. You die on your own terms and prevent disputes among family members. You can choose to donate your organs and guarantee peace of mind.