It's Important to Plan End of Life Decisions

By Nick Messe

An effective estate plan is more than a decision on how to distribute your assets after death and should be developed at the law offices of a qualified estate planning attorney. A will is an important starting point in the process, but may not always be enough depending on your specific situation. There are a variety of estate planning tools that can be utilized to give you and your family security and peace of mind. A will is a written document that outlines how a person wants their assets and property distributed upon their death. If applicable it will indicate who will become the guardian of minor children or disabled dependents. A will also sets out who will administer the estate.

Listen to the interview with Carolyn Brent too learn why it's so important to have end-of-life discussions before you are placed in a position to make a decision while wrought with emotions.

Using quality legal representation to assist you in preparing your will can help ensure your wishes are followed. Dying without a will or leaving an ill-prepared will can lead to confusion, contests by family members and increased probate costs. A trust is used to manage assets or property. There are different types of trusts available depending on the situation. For instance, a living trust is used to transfer assets to a trust to be administrated for the benefit of the person until death. A testamentary trust is established in a will and usually prepares for the financial care of minor children or disabled dependents.

A successful and enforceable trust should be prepared by an attorney to ensure it meets all legal requirements. Other important estate planning tools include living wills and powers of attorney. A power of attorney is used to assign personal powers to an agent to act on your behalf in a legal capacity. Different types of powers of attorney include limited, general, durable and financial.

For instance, a durable power of attorney allows your agent to act in your capacity during your incapacitation. Utilizing a power of attorney in this regard helps avoid the state becoming involved in your affairs. Quality legal representation can help you understand what type of documents applies to your unique situation and ensure they are executed correctly. A living will, also referred to as an advanced health care directive, is used to specify your wishes concerning end of life decisions. Specifically, it is used to communicate to family members and medical professionals what life-saving measures, if any, should be taken.

Using an attorney to help draft your living will can help guarantee there are no misunderstandings regarding your last requests. Developing an estate plan has become a necessary part of life. It is important to interview and hire a qualified attorney from a law firm capable of handling your estate planning needs.

At the law offices of Stone, Duncan, & Associates, PC we provide quality legal services and a unique legal experience to individuals, businesses, and professionals throughout Pennsylvania. If you're looking for a Criminal Lawyer in the counties of Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill, or York, give us a call.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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End-of-Life Decision Making For Cancer Patients

By Pauline Go

People who are in the last stages of cancer should pay some attention to end-of-life decisions. The most important is advance directive, also known as living will, for medical treatment. This is nothing but a document written by the terminally ill person while he or she is still capable of making decisions. The advance directive basically states that the patient does not want artificial means of surviving should he or she become mentally incompetent. Artificial life saving measures include CPR, respirators or anything else the person can think of.

The reason why advance directive only applies to a person who in mentally incapable of making decisions is because prior to that a doctor can ask the person what his or her preferences are about the treatment. However, once the person becomes mentally incompetent, he cannot be asked to state to state his or her preference.

However, advance directive is not only about dying with dignity. There are some patients who might want to live as long as possible using CPR or artificial breathing machines. If this is mentioned in your living will, the doctors and your family would have to respect it. In fact, the doctor would have to do everything to save your life or prolong it.

Those who find writing advance directive morbid, do not have to do it. Instead they can appoint a health care agent. This is someone who makes all the healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are incapable of making them. However, you would have to tell the agent what your wishes are while you are still able to think and comprehend coherently.

Pauline Go is an online leading expert medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like:
Lung Cancer Facts,
Bone Cancer Symptoms
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2184874

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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End of Life Plan - Not Just For the Elderly

by Laura Bramble

Most people live with a fear of being debilitated and unable to make end of life decisions, whether by accident, disease or aging. Mental autonomy is a vital part of our identities and it is hard to imagine life without it. Yet many face that very situation every day. Having a clearly defined, written plan that close friends and family understand goes a long way in relieving some of that fear.

Like wills, people approach end of life plans with hesitation. These plans are seen as morbid or as bringing bad things into being. Younger people feel that there is plenty of time; only "old people" need to plan ahead and declare their wishes. However, many who need end of life plans are not those who are dying a slow and dignified death with plenty of time to set things in order. Accidents and sudden illnesses create situations that render the victim incapacitated and unable to make decisions for himself, the very situation that requires this kind of plan. The suddenness of the condition also leaves family members to deal with a large number of issues and emotions at onbe, besides the burden of having to make decisions for a loved one. Having a plan in place keeps loved ones from having to think about those issues while they are in the midst of coping with their emotions and prevents them from ever wondering if they did the right thing and respected your unknown wishes.

A basic end of life plan deals with a few issues: life support and extraordinary medical measures, organ donation and funeral arrangements, hospice care and financial issues. Whether a patient wants doctors to keep them on life support for an extended period or resort to complicated or risky procedures on a faint hope of success needs to be spelled out, since making that decision means condemning a loved one to death. This is a very pressure filled situation for a grieving loved one. For those that have definite feelings about how they wish their body to be handled after death, especially those with strong religious convictions, putting directions in writing removes any guesswork and ensures that their final wishes will be met. Some people are comfortable with the idea of hospice care, while others would rather die at home, surrounded by familiar people and things, which an end of life plan makes clear. An end of life plan also creates arrangements for the support of spouses and children, temporary custody and guardianship, and funding for medical and funeral expenses.

It takes a team to develop a solid end of life plan. Especially if you are ill or elderly, speaking with your doctor about what to expect and getting answers to questions can help you settle the medical issues surrounding long-term care and life support. An attorney can give legal advice on the best and smoothest way to handle any transfers of property or authority. A financial advisor who specializes in estate and succession planning can advise you on the most effective way to structure your finances to guarantee that funds are in place to cover expenses while minimizing the tax burden on loved ones.

Laura Bramble is a freelance writer living in Atlanta. You may view more of her work at walkers for seniors or walkers with wheels

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Bramble

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.For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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