Living Wills

Wills handle your assets and how they should be distributed upon your death. A living will dictates the type of healthcare you’d prefer if you become incapacitated by illness or injury. While it may be a tough topic to consider, not having a living will in place can leave your family at odds.

Walk-In Wills understands how difficult certain aspects of estate planning can be. That’s why we strive to offer a relaxed and comforting office experience to clients in New Mexico. You’ll sit down with a licensed attorney to hash out the details of your estate plan, including how to create an effective living will that meets all your needs.

Types of Medical Decisions in Living Wills

When it comes to end-of-life medical care, doctors have a number of procedures and techniques at their disposal. It’s up to you to decide which of the following procedures should be attempted if you are gravely ill:

• Breathing Machines – When you’re unable to breathe on your own, a mechanical ventilation machine can be used to breathe for you. Consider whether you’d want this procedure performed, and if so for how long.
• Feeding Tubes – Intravenously supplying nutrients keeps a person alive when they’re unable to eat on their own. This is often used when a person is in a comatose state.
• CPR – Resuscitation is used to get a heart beating again after it’s stopped. CPR can be performed manually, or it can be performed via shock paddles, which send a signal to the heart to re-start it.
• Medication – Certain medications, such as antibiotics, can be administered to control infections, which in turn may prolong a person’s life.
• Palliative Care – Palliative care doesn’t extend a person’s life. Rather, it makes a person as comfortable as possible while dealing with a serious injury or illness.

What to Do When Creating a Living Will

Along with an attorney’s assistance, your primary care doctor should also be consulted when your living will is being created. This can help clarify confusing medical concepts, such as the process for organ donation. You also want to discuss the issue with family members.

In many instances, family are at odds with the directives contained in a person’s living will. This can lead to heated disputes, which may even get in the way of your wishes for end-of-life healthcare. Letting your loved ones know about your wishes before catastrophe strikes will prepare them. It also allows you to explain your thinking behind these decisions.

Don’t Leave Your Living Will to Chance

Creating a living will with a licensed attorney, such as those found at Walk-In Wills, offers the best chance of having your final wishes honored by family and medical staff. During your free one-hour consultation, we’ll explain the basics and help you choose the appropriate estate planning package.

Get started on your estate plan in New Mexico by calling (505) 903-7000 today. We look forward to helping you plan for the future.

Your Lawyers for Life