Lombard, IL Living Will Lawyers

Knowledgeable Lawyers for Establishing Living Wills and Advance Medical Directives in Lombard, Illinois

Most people are at least somewhat familiar with wills, understanding their importance in estate planning. A will can be used to divide your estate among your loved ones or chosen charities, and it can also make sure your children will be cared for by a chosen guardian after your death. A living will, on the other hand, provides instructions about how you wish to be treated while you are alive, ensuring that your instructions will be followed even if you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself.

At A. Traub & Associates, we believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect throughout their entire lifetime. To make sure the treatment you receive will be in accordance with your own desires, we will help you develop a living will to ensure you are cared for correctly. A living will can provide security and peace of mind for your family as well, helping them avoid the need to make difficult decisions when they may have been unsure of your wishes.

Drafting a Living Will in Illinois

A living will is one of a series of estate planning tools known as advance medical directives. These instruments allow you to make decisions in advance about the medical care you should receive if you become unable to make such choices for yourself in the future. They can be especially beneficial in situations where you may suffer unexpected illnesses or other issues that cause you to become incapacitated. When you cannot make your wishes known because you are unconscious or unable to communicate, instructions provided ahead of time can help avoid uncertainty.

What makes a living will so important is that it will address your wishes regarding death-delaying procedures and other forms of treatment if you are diagnosed with a terminal condition. If health issues prevent you from being able to express your wishes about your own care, the terms of your living will can make sure you receive the treatment you want. Notably, these decisions will only apply in situations where you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that is certain to result in your imminent death.

Death-delaying procedures are treatments and systems that do not serve a healing purpose but are only used to keep a dying patient alive, including ventilator-assisted breathing, kidney dialysis, and blood transfusions. You may specify whether you do or do not want to receive specific types of treatments. For example, you may state that you wish to be allowed to pass peacefully, receiving whatever treatment is necessary to make sure you are comfortable, or you may request to be kept alive as long as possible. Our compassionate attorneys can discuss these sensitive concerns with you and help you decide on what treatments will be acceptable and what other instructions you may wish to provide.

Other Advance Medical Directives

In addition to your living will, other types of documents may be used to address the medical care you wish to receive. A power of attorney for health care can be especially beneficial, since it will grant a loved one the authority to determine what treatments you will or will not receive. This person will be responsible for making medical and health-related decisions when you are no longer able, and you can give them detailed instructions as needed.

Other documents that you may want to include in your estate plan include a do-not-resuscitate order or a mental health treatment declaration. A do-not-resuscitate order, also known as Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, may provide instructions for medical professionals to allow you to pass peacefully after you stop breathing or your heart stops beating rather than administering CPR. A mental health treatment declaration can specify your wishes regarding hospitalization in a mental health facility or other forms of treatment for mental illnesses.

Contact Our Lombard, Illinois Living Will and Advance Directives Lawyers

With advance medical directives, you can make sure you will have control over your medical treatment, and you can prevent disputes among your family members about your wishes. If you have questions about living wills, advance directives, or any other estate planning tools, contact A. Traub & Associates. Our skilled attorneys will meet with you, listen carefully to your needs, and keep you completely informed at every step in the estate planning process. Call 630-426-0196 to schedule an appointment today.