Benefits Of Drafting A Living Will In Daytona Beach
A living will allows you to state your wishes for the end-of-life medical treatment you do or do not want to receive. This legal document ensures that your preferences are communicated effectively to your loved ones and medical professionals. This also allows you to relieve your caregivers of making very hard decisions during times of crisis. Still, no one wants to think about the end-of-life care they may need. However, drafting this document today has many benefits for you and your family in the future. Below, our Daytona Beach advanced directives lawyer explains further.
Why Draft a Living Will?
Creating a living will has many benefits, not only for you, but for your family, too. These include:
- You retain control over the medical treatment you receive, even if you are unable to express your wishes due to an accident, illness, or age.
- You can remain true to your beliefs and values, while also avoiding disputes among your healthcare providers or loved ones.
- A living will empowers you to make your own decisions and ensure they will be honored, which also allows you to maintain your dignity.
- You will have peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be honored.
Requirements for Living Wills
Like all legal documents, state law in Florida places certain requirements on living wills. These requirements must be met in order for the document to be considered valid and legally binding. To be legally binding, the law requires a living will to be signed by you and two witnesses. One witness cannot be your spouse or a blood relative.
Living Wills vs. Advance Directives
A living will allows you to focus on end-of-life treatment. Advance directives can include a number of healthcare decisions. An advance directive can include a living will, but you can also designate a healthcare surrogate who will make medical decisions for you if you are ever unable to. Essentially, a living will is part of an advance directive that addresses your preferences for end-of-life treatment.
Living Wills vs. Powers of Attorney
Typically, powers of attorney do not override living wills. A power of attorney gives someone else the authority to make decisions on your behalf if you are ever incapacitated. Unless specifically stated, powers of attorney do not generally give the agent the authority to make medical decisions. Instead, these legal documents typically apply only to legal and financial matters. In regards to end-of-life treatment, a living will is given priority over a power of attorney.
Call Our Advanced Directives Lawyer in Daytona Beach Today
If you need help securing your future, our Daytona Beach advanced directives lawyer at Bundza & Rodriguez can help. We can draft your living will, and any other estate planning documents you need, to help protect you and your loved ones in the future. Call us today at 386-252-5170 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our experienced attorney and to learn more about how we can help.
Source:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0765/Sections/0765.202.html
