Wildwood Healthcare Directives Lawyer

Reduce Conflict and Get Only the Care You Desire

One of the most important rights is having control over what happens to your body, and that includes what medical care you receive. Each person has their own unique view on how much medical care they want in end-of-life situations. Some want to be put on a feeding tube indefinitely, while others don’t even want to be resuscitated should their heart stop.

Healthcare directives allow people to decide ahead of time what medical care they will receive and who can speak for them when they can no longer speak for themselves. Call Marshall Law. I am attorney John Marshall, and I can create advance directives for clients as part of my comprehensive estate planning services. I am eager to hear more about your goals and fears in a consultation.

Critical Healthcare Directives in Florida

I use different legal documents to help my clients plan for the future—and take control of what will happen when they can’t speak or possibly are not even conscious:

• Designation of Health Care Surrogate. You can appoint one or more people to serve as your health care surrogates and make medical choices for you when you aren’t able to. For example, you might slip temporarily into a coma, or you could develop advanced dementia and not even know where you are. Your surrogate can direct your medical care in these situations.
• Living Will. This document is different from the will you used to leave assets to loved ones. Instead, I draft a living will for clients where they state what life support they want when they are in an end-of-life situation. We can talk over whether you want CPR, mechanical ventilation, or a feeding tube.
• HIPAA waiver. Medical information is confidential, and your doctor cannot release it to third parties without inviting legal sanctions. This waiver authorizes the disclosure of this confidential information to anyone named in your waiver.

Challenges to Creating Effective Healthcare Directives

Probably the biggest challenge is getting in the right mindset to think about situations where you lack capacity or face a terminal illness. I have found that some people shy away from these topics, which is why it is best to meet with a lawyer.

Although I can’t take the emotion out of this endeavor, we can focus together on discrete tasks:

• Choosing the right health care surrogate. You should pick someone you trust, such as your spouse or an eldest child. Ideally, the surrogate will live here in Florida, preferably near Wildwood. It is much harder for someone to jet in to make critical choices about healthcare in fast-evolving situations.
• Reviewing a directive created in a different state. Many out-of-state directives will remain effective in Florida, but it’s helpful to double check. You also might want to change other pieces of an estate plan, and now is the time to do it.
• Discussing life support and end of life care. Each person has their own ideas about what qualifies as dying with dignity. I can help you think through what life support you want or don’t want.

All health care directives should be drafted by a lawyer with experience in this field. I have practiced law for nearly 20 years and have helped countless clients with advance directives.

Do Young People Need Advance Directives?

Yes. Even younger people, who are decades away from their 60s, can benefit from these advance directives. Imagine if you got into a serious car accident and slip into a coma. Who would make medical decisions for you?

Suppose you are also in a vegetative state on life support. Forcing your spouse or parents to make the choice to pull the plug is intolerable. Many people find solace knowing they will determine when to stop care, which relieves their loved ones from feeling guilt.

If you don’t yet have a will, I encourage you to create one. You can name guardians for minor children in it. In fact, I can create a comprehensive estate plan, including a power of attorney, trust, or another document. By creating all these components at once, I can ensure they are harmonized and all working together.