Charleston Living Will Lawyers
Living wills are not to be confused with “last wills and testaments” or “living trusts.” Living wills are legal documents that lay out what type of end-of-life medical interventions you may or may not want that are designed to prolong your life. These documents specify your wishes and instructions when medical professionals determine that you are no longer able to express your wishes due to incapacity or unconsciousness from terminal illness or injury.
Living wills are part of comprehensive estate plans. At Seibert Law Firm, our legal team can help you draft and finalize your living will as well as other estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, and more. These legal instruments can give you and your family peace of mind knowing that your wishes and instructions will be honored when you are no longer able to voice them yourself. We are dedicated to providing you with the first-class attentive service you deserve in these crucial legal matters.
Request a free initial consultation with a Charleston living will attorney for advice and guidance. You can reach Seibert Law Firm with an online message or at (843) 428-6360 to get started.
Living Wills in South Carolina
Living wills are basic documents that should be part of any estate plan. They are often referred to as “Advance Directives for a Natural Death.” They only become effective when you cannot express your wishes and the chance of regaining your capacity is unlikely.
These documents ensure that the medical treatments you want or do not want are in writing. This means that family members or other parties will not be making decisions on your behalf. These documents are especially beneficial when others may not share your opinion about what should or should not be done to extend your life or when family members are not in agreement with each other on the matter either. Thus, a living will save them from emotional turmoil at a time when they are likely already under stress.
Living wills can specify your wishes regarding such end-of-life care and issues as:
- Resuscitation, such as through CPR or other means
- Feeding tubes that provide nutrition and hydration
- Ventilators when you can no longer breathe on your own
- Pain medication, specifying what kind of pain management you wish to have
- Dialysis when your kidneys have failed to specify how long you wish or do not wish to have it
- Organ donation
Living wills can also be created along with healthcare Powers of Attorney where you designate a trusted person to make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you cannot. Your living will provides your designated person on a healthcare Power of Attorney the guidance needed when decisions must be made concerning life-prolonging medical care.
Charleston Living Will Planning: Secure Your Future
Our living will attorneys are here to ensure that you understand the legal instruments that can be used to ensure that your personal and estate wishes are clarified for the future. We can help you draft and finalize these documents so that they work together at a time when your loved ones will most need them. Get the peace of mind you deserve that can be found with appropriate estate planning instruments, such as living wills.
Contact Seibert Law Firm Today to learn more about creating your living will.