A Living Will, also known as an Advanced Directive, is a document that outlines your wishes for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Advance Directives are different from Living Wills in that they appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to communicate. There are many important differences between a Living Will and an Advance Directive, which this blog post will outline.
What is Living Will?
A Living Will is a legal document that allows you to specify your medical treatment preferences in advance. It can be used to provide guidance for your loved ones and medical professionals in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes yourself. Living Wills typically cover topics such as life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, and organ donation.
While they are not required by law, having a Living Will in place can help to ensure that your wishes are respected in the event of a medical emergency. If you are interested in creating a Living Will, it is important to consult with an attorney to ensure that the document is properly executed and meets all legal requirements.
What is an Advance Directive?
Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to express your wishes regarding medical treatment in the event that you are unable to communicate those wishes yourself. Advance directives can include a living will, which spells out the types of care you would or would not want to receive in various end-of-life scenarios, as well as a durable power of attorney for health care, which designates someone else to make decisions on your behalf. Advance directives can be an important part of end-of-life planning, and they can give you peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be respected if you are ever unable to speak for yourself.
Difference between Living Will and Advance Directive
- Living Will and Advance Directive are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. Living Wills are documents that state an individual’s wishes regarding medical treatment in the event that they are unable to communicate those wishes themselves.
- Advance Directives, on the other hand, are documents that appoint an individual to make medical decisions on behalf of another person in the event that they are unable to do so themselves.
- While both Living Wills and Advance Directives can be used to express an individual’s end-of-life wishes, Living Wills only apply to medical treatment, while Advance Directives can also cover financial and legal matters. As a result, it is important to be clear about which type of document you are creating before you begin.
Conclusion
The Living Will and the Advance Directive are two important estate planning documents. It is important to understand the difference between these two documents so that you can make an informed decision about which document is best for you.
