A living will in West Pittston, Pennsylvania can further be referred to as a "healthcare directive." Whatever the name, it is a document that lays out a person's wishes with respect to their medical care, in case they become unable to make their own arrangements.

Making a living will can save your family a great deal of grief. There are some pretty terrible cases 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 conflict, 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 substantial 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.

This can lead to disagreements between loved ones, some of whom might want to keep the patient on life support, while others believe that he or she would not want to be kept alive in such a state. If the patient's wishes had been made clear beforehand in a legally-binding document, such infighting could be prevented.

How to Create A Living Will in West Pittston, Pennsylvania

Before you begin, you should make it quite 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 a reliable attorney in West Pittston, Pennsylvania who is experienced in drafting documents like this.

In most states, the criteria 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.

These formalities vary from state to state, but wills typically have to be witnessed and signed by at least two people who do not have a direct interest in the matter. Additionally, they should contain a clear statement indicating that the document is, in fact, a living will.

Do I Need A West Pittston, Pennsylvania Living Will Attorney?

While it's not strictly obligated, it can be very helpful to have the counsel of an efficient West Pittston, Pennsylvania attorney. A reliable lawyer will help you navigate the local laws on this subject, making it much easier for your wishes to be implemented.