What is a Living Will?

A living will does much more than tell your friends and loved ones how you feel or what physical items you want each of them to take. A will is your personal statement on what you do or do not want in the event heavy medical decisions must be made on your behalf.

Usually, writing out the will goes hand in hand with appointing your own medical power of attorney.

There is often a lot of conflict when a person is in critical condition and medical issues have to be resolved. Tension runs high between loved ones when a quick decision has to be made about the life and health of an individual. If you have ever had to make a big medical decision on your own behalf, you probably understand that it is even more difficult to do for someone else.

If you have a living will already in effect when a situation like this happens, the tension is eased for your loved ones. They will not be in the position to guess what you would have wanted and can relax knowing they are carrying out your own stated wishes. The will allows you to stand up for what you want now, since you may not be able to later on.

Two main issues that are often covered in this type of will include whether you wish to sit on life support in the event of a serious injury, and whether you would like to receive CPR, if your heart stops beating for any reason. Making these decisions for yourself now will greatly ease the pressure on your loved ones later on.

Selecting your medical power of attorney is usually done at the same time you create your living will. You are essentially picking someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf. This will only take effect in the event you are unable to make a clear decision for yourself.