A living will in Gaston County, North Carolina 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.

A living will can be extremely significant in avoiding painful, expensive, and time-consuming disagreements between your family members.

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.

Even worse, individual family members might not be able to agree about what your wishes would be. Disagreements on a subject like this can cut very deep, and cause irreparable harm to family relations. If the patient's wishes are made clear beforehand, these disagreements can be prevented most of the time.

How to Create A Living Will in Gaston County, North Carolina

Before you begin, you should make it very clear to your family members what your wishes on this subject are. If it ever becomes necessary to implement a living will, the process will likely be simpler if your family already understands what to expect.

Now comes the part where you actually draft the living will. The process is likely to go much more smoothly if you enlist the help of an accomplished attorney in Gaston County, North Carolina who is experienced in drafting documents like this.

In most states, the requirements for holding a living will to be valid are the same as those necessary for an ordinary will, at least with respect to the formalities that must be followed.

While these required formalities vary by state, there are a few common elements. For instance, most wills and living wills need to be witnessed and signed by 2 people who have no direct interest in the subject matter.

Do I Need A Gaston County, North Carolina Living Will Attorney?

While not always necessary, a reputable healthcare or wills attorney in Gaston County, North Carolina 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.