A living will in Claremont, New Hampshire is sometimes called a "healthcare directive" or something comparable. But whatever you call it, it's a legally-binding document which provides directions for your family members as well as you doctors on how you want end-of-life medical care to be handled. It lets them know in advance what you want.

Making a living will can save your family a great deal of grief. There are some pretty terrible situations that a living will can help you avoid. It's not uncommon for a patient to become incapacitated, leaving the doctors with only a few options. Members of your family might disagree over what you would want, leading to an extremely painful dispute, which could have been easily avoided if they'd simply known.

For instance, some people don't want to be kept on life support if they are in a vegetative state with no significant chance of recovery. Others, however, might prefer to be kept alive as long as humanly feasible. Another person's wishes might be something in between. In any case, if the family doesn't know what their loved one's wishes are, they may have to guess, which could lead to them making a choice that the patient would never have wanted.

Furthermore, if family members have differing opinions of what the patient would want, this can give rise to infighting. Disagreements on such a painful subject can tear families apart. If the patient's wishes are made clear in advance, such arguments and disagreements are far less likely.

How to Create A Living Will in Claremont, New Hampshire

Before taking any steps to create a living will, you should make your wishes known to your family. While it's ultimately your decision (and your family will probably recognize that), they will likely appreciate having their opinions heard. Also, implementing a living will can be much easier if the family already knows what it says, with the document simply making it legally-binding.

You should then go about drafting the will. This should almost always be done with the advice of a Claremont, New Hampshire attorney who specializes in these matters.

In most states, a living will must follow all the formalities as testamentary wills (wills that dictate what is to be done with a person's property after their death).

While these formalities vary by state, there are a few elements that are quite typical. For example, in most states, wills have to be witnessed and signed by at least 2 people who have no direct share in it. It's also important to avoid any disputes or confusion as to whether or not a particular document was intended to be a will. A clear statement to that effect should be the first paragraph in any type of will.

Do I Need A Claremont, New Hampshire Living Will Attorney?

While not always necessary, a reputable healthcare or wills attorney in Claremont, New Hampshire can make this process much easier. Lawyers, obviously, understand the law. Because of this, it is much easier for them to prevent the legal pitfalls that can make a living will unenforceable.