Living Wills

Living Wills: Ensuring Your Medical Wishes Are Followed

A Living Will is a legal document that outlines your preferences for medical treatment in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes due to illness, injury, or incapacity. It specifies the types of life-sustaining treatments you would or would not want, such as mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes, or resuscitation efforts. By having a living will in place, you ensure that your medical care aligns with your values, and it alleviates the burden on your loved ones to make difficult decisions on your behalf.

At Warshofsky Law, we help clients create comprehensive living wills that clearly communicate their healthcare preferences. This document, often part of a larger estate plan, allows you to take control of your medical treatment, providing guidance to doctors and family members if you’re ever unable to speak for yourself.

Why You Need a Living Will A living will gives you the peace of mind that your healthcare decisions will be respected even in the most critical situations. Without one, your loved ones may be forced to make difficult medical decisions without knowing your true wishes, which can lead to emotional distress or family disagreements. By creating a living will, you:

• Specify your treatment preferences for end-of-life care or incapacitation.
• Alleviate stress for family members by removing uncertainty about your medical decisions.
• Ensure your healthcare choices are followed, even if you cannot communicate them.
• Prevent the need for court intervention in making medical decisions.

What Can a Living Will Cover? A living will typically addresses decisions related to:

• Life-Sustaining Treatments: You can specify whether you wish to receive or decline treatments such as ventilators, dialysis, or feeding tubes if you are in a terminal condition or permanently unconscious.
• Resuscitation Orders: You can indicate whether you would want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if your heart stops.
• Organ Donation: You may include instructions about whether you wish to donate your organs after death.
• Pain Management: You can outline your preferences regarding pain relief and comfort care, even if you decline life-prolonging treatments.

How Warshofsky Law Can Help At Warshofsky Law, we work with you to create a living will that reflects your values and healthcare preferences. We take the time to explain the legal and medical implications of your choices, ensuring that the document is comprehensive and fully aligned with your wishes. By incorporating your living will into your estate plan, you provide clear instructions for your care and ease the emotional burden on your family.

Take Control of Your Healthcare Decisions A living will is an essential part of any estate plan, giving you control over your medical care in difficult circumstances. To create or update your living will, contact the offices of Jason Warshofsky at 305-446-1244 or email Jason at Jason@WarshofskyLaw.com to schedule a consultation.