Living Wills

Living Wills – what are they and why are they important?

Wills are something that we are all familiar with – a formal legal document which tells those closest to you everything from how you want your funeral to be organised to who inherits the family home and heirlooms. But not many of us have thought about what happens before we die, when we may be in need of medical care.

Although we all hope to pass away in our sleep, the reality is often different and many of us will spend time in hospital. Living wills or ‘advance directives’ as they are professionally known, indicate your desire to refuse some or all forms of medical treatment and under which circumstances this would apply. An advance directive is prepared whilst you are mentally capable and is only used once you are no longer capable in taking part in the decision making process.

Without a Living Will, in certain circumstances decisions might be made about your medical care without referring to what you would prefer and choose for yourself. Of course clinical decisions remain with the medical team but there are many other issues you can and should provide guidance on.

We all like to think that because we are in good health now we will never find ourselves in the situation where we are unable to communicate our wishes to those around us about medical treatment. But the truth is we don’t know what lies ahead. By making these preparations now, people can prevent a lot of heartache in the future for themselves and their loved ones.

A witnessed document, such as a living will, makes sure that your voice is heard and your wishes considered.

For more information on living wills, speak to one of our team at Parrott & Coales Solicitors on 01296 318500.