A living will in Pinehurst, 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.

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 wish to be taken off of life support if they are in a permanent vegetative state, and their doctors believe that they have little to no chance of a meaningful recovery. Nonetheless, if this wish is not expressed in advance, it may be impossible to implement in the unfortunate event that it becomes relevant.

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 Pinehurst, 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.

You should then actually draft the will. To be sure that it is valid, you should have the assistance of a Pinehurst, North Carolina attorney who specializes in wills.

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).

In general, wills of any type (testamentary or living) have to be signed by 2 people who witnessed it being signed by the person who the will is for. They must also contain a clear provision saying what they actually are (so there can be no confusion as to whether or not a certain document was intended to be a will).

Do I Need A Pinehurst, North Carolina Living Will Attorney?

While not strictly necessary, a reputable estate-planning lawyer in Pinehurst, North Carolina can be extremely helpful in the process of drafting a living will. An attorney will know the intricacies of local law, and will help you draft a document that, to the extent possible, will ensure that your wishes with respect to your own healthcare are followed.