If you want to create a comprehensive estate plan, you must consider all eventualities. This includes scenarios in which you become incapacitated due to an injury or disease. To retain control if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself, you must create a living will. An estate planning lawyer will help you draft this document to ensure your wishes are carried out by the hospital. If you’ve never heard of this type of will before, here’s a guide to what it includes and how it differs from other types of wills.

What Does a Living Will Include?

In a living will, you have the chance to state the type of care you’d like to receive if you’re comatose or otherwise unable to voice your wishes. For example, you can state your preferences regarding life-prolonging care like dialysis, blood transfusions, and mechanical ventilation. You may also decide whether to receive IV feeding at a hospital if you can’t eat independently. Your estate planning lawyer will provide you with a comprehensive list of topics to address in the document to ensure nothing is overlooked. 

How Does a Living Will Differ From a Last Will and Testament?

A living will goes into effect while you’re alive.  A last will, on the other hand, does not become relevant until after the owner of the document has died. Whereas a living will informs the court of your wishes regarding end-of-life care, a last will contains the terms for settling your estate and inheritance. In the latter, you can name an executor, assign a guardian for your minor children, divide your property among your beneficiaries, and state any preferences regarding your funeral and burial. With a living will, only you are affected.

For help creating your living will, turn to the estate planning lawyers at Stephenson & Stephenson, PA, Attorneys at Law. Located in Sanford, NC, this firm has been counseling clients throughout Chatham, Harnett, Lee, and Moore counties for over three decades. A small office with all the resources of a large practice, their knowledgeable lawyers provide personalized and attentive guidance to everyone who walks through the door. Learn more about how they’ll help you with your estate online or call (919) 774-6182 to schedule a consultation.