Scranton Living Will Lawyers

Accidents can happen at any time. It's important to get in contact with Scranton living will lawyers who can get your wishes clearly in writing. A living will, unlike a will, is a document that gives someone power of attorney while you are alive. When giving someone power of attorney, they are able to make vital health decisions instantly on your behalf.

The living will allows you to make decisions in the event you're unable to communicate your desires. These include important decisions regarding life support when you are still healthy. As you can see, this leaves you with enough time to make your instructions clear should tragedy strike.

Why Do You Need a Living Will?

If you don't have one and you're unable to communicate your wishes to medical professionals, crucial decisions are left to the court. These include important matters related to estate planning and administration that a will would cover.

This includes medical paths such as choices to end life, allocation of property, and inheritance issues. These choices should be yours and yours alone. Get your wishes clearly documented by the expert Scranton living will lawyers Caputo & Mariotti.

What Should You Include in A Living Will?

Medical Directives

Your living will covers what you would want to be done in the event you're unable to make decisions for yourself. For instance, decisions to put respirators, feeding tubes, and to carry out crucial operations need to be in your living will.

Organ Donation Instructions

There is a constant legal and ethical dilemma about what people should do with their organs in the event of their passing. There are ways to let people know what to do with your organs such as through the organ donor designation on your driver's license. However, having your instructions on what to do with your organs in the event of death is something that should be in the living will.

For instance, there have been disputes in which medical institutions were allegedly harvesting organs without consent. Therefore, by having Scranton living will lawyers document your wishes, an unfortunate situation may occur.

Power of Attorney Designation

According to the Pennsylvania Durable Health Care Power of Attorney form, it allows you to transfer decisions on health care treatment to an attorney of their choice. After that, the appointed attorney has the legal authority to make end-of-life decisions.

There are many important reasons you should give someone comprehensive durable power of attorney designation such as:

1. It avoids the need for conservatorship or guardianship by a court of law to someone you don't want.
2. Power of Attorney provides you ample time to discuss your wishes with family members.
3. Since you give someone your wishes, family members won't disagree since it comes from you.
4. Protects your loved ones from claims of financial abuse.
5. Provides immediate access to critical assets to the attorney. If needed, they can allocate and access funds for medical use in a timely manner.
6. It cuts out the red tape dependents would have to go through in court to get legal authority for crucial tasks.

We recommend that you keep at least three copies of your willing will to give people you trust. These people could include your primary care physician, spouse, family members, or the person you give power of attorney too.

Our Scranton Living Will Lawyers are Ready to Help

Accidents resulting in severe personal injury can happen on the job, in the car, and at any time. The only thing certain in life is death. As you can see, planning for the end of your life is just as important as planning for incidents in your life. Finding people you trust to make these important decisions isn't easy.

With our over 55 years of legal experience, Caputo & Mariotti have been trusted to help others plan for these unfortunate circumstances. Above all, our team of Scranton living will lawyers want to help you carefully make your wishes heard.