Oceanside Advanced Healthcare Directive Lawyer
An Oceanside advanced healthcare directive lawyer can assist you in preparing medical treatment and end-of-life care preferences in the event that they become incapacitated and unable to make sound decisions for yourself. No one wants to think about getting sick or dying. However, it is a reality that no one can escape.
Establishing an estate plan and preparing an advanced healthcare directive is not particularly difficult. However, to ensure that your estate planning documents are valid and legally binding, it’s best to seek legal advice from a California estate planning attorney.
If you’re thinking about creating an advance healthcare directive, give us a call at Century Trusts & Estate Planning. Our experienced Oceanside advance healthcare directive attorney can discuss your estate lanning needs and prepare the directive on your behalf. Contact us now to schedule your initial consultation in our Oceanside law office.
Why Do I Need an Oceanside Advanced Healthcare Directive Attorney in California?
Many people mistakenly believe healthcare directives are only for the elderly. A person of any age can benefit from a healthcare directive. It may be uncomfortable to plan for the possibility that you will be incapacitated or unable to make health care decisions independently. Yet, it is essential to do so for estate planning purposes.
At Century Trusts & Estate Planning, our Oceanside advanced healthcare directive attorneys can help you complete your estate plan and identify how healthcare directives, living wills, healthcare powers of attorney, and other tools can benefit you.
- We have extensive experience in assisting individuals with every aspect of their estate plan—from the planning stages to the execution of the legal documents and beyond.
- We can answer all your estate planning questions, guide you through the processes, and help you achieve peace of mind knowing your wishes are secured, and your family is protected in the years ahead.
- Our estate planning law firm has a reputation for providing effective legal services to numerous clients in communities throughout Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Fallbrook, Encinitas, Solana Beach, La Costa, Leucadia, Cardiff in a full range of estate planning matters.
If you are interested in learning more about building a complete estate plan that includes a health care directive, contact us now. Schedule your initial consultation with our experienced advanced healthcare directive attorneys in Oceanside, CA.
What is an Advanced Healthcare Directive?
An advanced healthcare directive is an estate planning tool that clearly outlines your preferences for tough medical and healthcare decisions. It is a legal document that allows you to choose a person you trust—known as your agent or attorney-in-fact—to make medical decisions upon your incapacitation.
Advanced directives are especially useful in medical emergencies or near the end of a person’s life. If you wind up in a coma, come down with dementia or Alzheimer’s, or otherwise become unable to communicate, the advance directive will lay out your preferences for medical care. In most states, advanced directives become effective after one or more doctors certify that:
- you are unable to make medical decisions on your own
- you are in a condition specified in the state’s living will law
- you meet other applicable state requirements
What are the Different Types of Healthcare Directives in California?
Before creating an advanced health care directive, you must consider the different types of medical situations that may arise at any point in your life. Advance directives are flexible. Depending on your preferences, their scope can be broad or narrow.
There are several healthcare directive documents, and they often differ in what they cover and when they go into effect. A knowledgeable Oceanside advanced healthcare directive attorney can help you determine the type of directive you need based on your particular circumstances. Here are some of the common types of advanced directives and the purpose each serves when it comes to your healthcare.
The Living Will
A living will is a document that allows you to declare what type of medical treatment you do or do not wish to receive if you become ill, disabled, or otherwise unable to communicate your wishes directly. Before creating a living will, you should consider how you feel about the possibility of a range of medical treatment options. You can state whether you want to receive specific medical procedures, treatments, blood transfusions, medications, and more. It addresses many life-threatening therapies and procedures, such as resuscitation, ventilation, and dialysis.
In addition, it is essential to note your state’s requirements to ensure your will is enforceable. Having a living will also shield your loved ones from making difficult choices about your care and reduce the chances of confusion or arguments over what’s in your best interest. Without a living will, it’s up to your family members, doctors, and state law to choose what healthcare you receive.
Reach out to our Oceanside wills attorney and advanced healthcare directive lawyer if you’re thinking about establishing a living will.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
Also known as medical power of attorney, a durable power of attorney for health care allows you to name a trusted person to make healthcare and medical decisions for you if you cannot communicate on your own. This person may be called your healthcare agent, representative, or attorney-in-fact. Many people choose to pair a living will with a durable medical POA to ensure their future healthcare decisions are handled according to their wishes and by someone they trust. This combination of documents is called an advance healthcare directive.
How Do I Create a Healthcare Directive in California?
The rules on how healthcare directives are created and what goes in them may vary from state to state. Regardless of where you are, the more specific you are with your instructions, the less confusion there will be.
In California, you need two competent adult witnesses to sign and date your advanced healthcare directive to make it legally valid, or you can have the document notarized. To ensure the validity of your paper, you can speak to an Oceanside advanced attorney to ensure you complete the proper forms.
In any event, upon creating a healthcare directive, you want to:
- Talk to family members about the decisions you made in the advance directive.
- Keep the original document in a safe, accessible place.
- Provide a copy to your doctor, health care agent, attorney, and/or loved ones.
Call an Oceanside Advanced Healthcare Directive Attorney Now!
Creating a healthcare directive is not something that people like to think about in their life. However, even young and healthy people stand to benefit from having a healthcare directive in place. It can help avoid the uncertainty and guilt that others can feel when they have to make essential decisions on someone else’s behalf.
Planning for your future health care is integral to your estate plan. You can put those significant life decisions in the hands of trusted loved ones. If you are unsure where to start creating an advance directive, our experienced Oceanside advanced healthcare directive attorney at Century Trusts & Estate Planning is here to help.
Our California estate planning attorney will walk you through creating a healthcare directive and all other components of an estate plan that suit your wants and needs. We can ensure that your advance health care directive follows all California State law requirements. Contact us now and schedule an initial consultation with best advanced healthcare directive attorney in California.
