Advance directives (sort of)

This just struck me as funny:

(See http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-05-09/ Copyright as indicated, no claim made to this work.)

Living wills

Living wills have been much in the news lately.  Every competent adult should have a living will and financial and medical powers of attorney.  This is not a matter of politics; rather, it is the height of responsible planning.  It is planning made not for yourself, but for family or loved ones.

A living will is also known as an “advance directive” and, of course, is a person’s statement about end-of-life decisions. One very important thing to keep in mind is that an estate planning attorney can craft a living will to suit your own wishes.  It may be very general or excruciatingly specific.  It might say “pull the plug,” but then again it might say “don’t dare pull the plug.” (In all my seventeen years as an estate planning attorney, I have not encountered any one that said their living will should say keep me alive no matter the cost,” but that is another story.)

A living will is sometimes combined with or accompanies a medical power of attorney. The medical power of attorney gives another person the power to make and carry out health care decisions.

My practice when asked to prepare a will is to suggest that my clients consider living wills and powers of attorney.  To save time and paper, my practice is to combine the living will into one document with financial and medical powers of attorney.