A living will in Ballwin, Missouri, occasionally referred to as a "healthcare directive" is a legal document instructing those concerned (family, doctors, etc.) on how you want to be viewed if you become unable to make your wishes known due to physical or mental incapacity.

A living will can be indispensable to avoiding disagreements between family members who otherwise might not be cognizant of your preferences on this subject. Most people, of course, want to honor the wishes of a loved one. Nonetheless, if they don't know what that person would have wanted, disagreements can happen.

For example, some people would not want to be kept on life support if they are terminally ill, and have no good chance at recovery. Others might want to be kept alive as long as medically feasible. If your family doesn't know what you would prefer, they might have to guess. Obviously, this can lead to severe disagreements, contemplating how emotional and final this decision is- there is no way to compromise between the two positions (a person can be kept on life support, or taken off of it; there isn't really any middle ground.).

If a person's preferences aren't known by his or her family, they might have to make an educated guess. Of course, with limited information, it's completely possible for 2 family members to come to two completely different conclusions, with no way of knowing which one is correct. Making your wishes known in advance can help you prevent all this.

How to Create A Living Will in Ballwin, Missouri

Before initiating the process, you should make your wishes extremely clear to your family. If your family is cognizant of your wishes well in advance, it will probably be much easier for them to accept the provisions in your living will, even if they don't agree with them.

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

In order to be given effect, particular formalities have to be followed when drafting a living will. Normally, the requirements are identical, or very similar to, the requirements for regular wills.

While these procedures are not identical between individual states, there are some common similarities. For instance, both testamentary and living wills normally need to be witnessed and signed by 2 people who have no direct interest in your will.

Do I Need A Ballwin, Missouri Living Will Attorney?

The assistance of a seasoned Ballwin, Missouri attorney is never a bad idea, even if it's not absolutely necessary. There are normally nuances in state and local law on this subject which laypersons will not be aware of, but with which an attorney will be intimately familiar.