Living Wills Attorneys in Montgomery, Berks, and Chester County, Pa.
If you were to be in a terminal medical condition or in a coma with no hope of recovery, you might assume that your spouse or other family members could tell doctors whether you want to be put on life support. Unfortunately, without a living will that explains your wishes, Pennsylvania doctors would have an obligation to keep you alive, even if that means feeding you through a tube.
At Ross, Quinn & Ploppert in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, our lawyers can draft a legal document known as an advance health care directive that spells out your wishes. This document, also known as a living will, also allows you to name a trusted person to communicate your wishes to medical providers if the need arises.
A living will is an essential component of your estate plan regardless of your age. A catastrophic illness or accident can happen to anyone at any time. If you do not have a living will to let family members and medical providers know what life-sustaining care you want, your family could end up in a situation like that faced by Terri Schiavo’s family, where a personal decision ends up being disputed in lengthy legal proceedings that can take a heavy financial and emotional toll on your family.
Even if you tell your family members whether you want artificial life support if you are in a terminal or vegetative state, those instructions mean little if they are not contained in a legal document. Doctors would not be obligated to follow those instructions, and your family members could be put in the position of feeling guilty for allowing you to die. Only a living will can give you the peace of mind that your wishes will be communicated to family members and medical providers.
Before your instructions will be followed, you must be declared incompetent and be either in a terminal condition or permanent state of unconsciousness. A doctor must certify that you are in this condition and obtain a second opinion as to those facts.
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Healthcare Directive Lawyers
Our attorneys are ready to help you get positive results. Contact us to discuss your case with our Pottstown living wills lawyers. We serve Montgomery County PA, Chester County, Berks County, Philadelphia County, Lancaster County and all surrounding counties in Pennsylvania.