A Living Will is a legal document which declares your wishes regarding your receipt of life-prolonging medical treatment, nutrition and hydration by artificially or technologically supplied means, and other medical treatment decisions based upon specific medical conditions where you are deemed to be a terminal condition or a permanently unconscious state.  The Living Will is a Declaration to be honored by your family and physicians as the final expression of your legal right to refuse any additional health care provided that the conditions are met.

Unlike a do not resuscitate order (DNR), a living will may only be implemented in the event that you are in a permanently unconscious state.  A "permanently unconscious state" is defined as  an irreversible condition in which you are  permanently unaware of yourself and your surroundings.  Your physician and one other physician must examine you and both must agree that the total loss of higher brain function has left you and that you are unable to feel pain or suffering.

A healthcare power of attorney gives a healthcare provider the name and contact information  of the person that you have designated to be your decision maker in the event that you are unable to consent to healthcare decisions.   Unlike Living Wills, Healthcare Powers of Attorney are not only used at the end of life.  Hence, they can be especially important for the elderly or anyone with a disease or condition that might limit their ability to communicate with their healthcare providers.  Medical care providers often request these documents so that they can be certain that your desires for healthcare are being met.

A health care power of attorney and living will are important tools to aid your loved ones in ensuring your intentions are followed when the time comes.  All too often, by the time the need for these documents arises, it is too late.  Having an up to date healthcare power of attorney and living will can provide  you and your family comfort in knowing that when the time comes, you will receive medical  treatment in the manner which you have consciously chosen.

Stephen A. Skiver & Associates, LLC, represents the legal rights of each and every one of our living will clients, while addressing all related issues that should be taken into consideration when representing your living will legal needs and goals.

If you need to legally develop and draft a living will in the Perrysburg, Toledo, Lambertville or the Northwest Ohio and Southwest Michigan areas, contact an experienced attorney (lawyer) at Stephen A. Skiver & Associates, LLC, today by calling (419) 931-0067 (Ohio) or (734) 568-0136 (Michigan).

As a progressive law firm dealing with today's legal issues, we provide you the voice of experience, and quality legal representation in your goals regarding living will, healthcare power of attorney or other estate and probate legal needs.