Advance Healthcare Directives
Prepare a medical directive with the help of our well-experienced estate planning attorney.
At any stage of life, there’s always a possibility for you to become too ill to make your own healthcare decisions. While we may not like to think about it, planning for it pays. It ensures that you get the medical care you want if you lose the cognitive ability to make and communicate health-related decisions.
At Myrthil’s Law, P. A., we provide comprehensive estate planning, including the preparation of an advance healthcare directive. Our estate planning attorney is here to help you make informed decisions and prepare all the documents needed to ensure that your decisions are respected when a medical emergency arises.
Why Do You Need an Advance Healthcare Directive?
Life is unpredictable. There is always a danger that you could become terminally ill or become unconscious for a long period—in worst-case scenarios, permanently—or unable to make health decisions for yourself. When that happens, having an advance healthcare directive ensures that your preferred healthcare plan will be implemented and that all your preferences will be maintained and respected.
Hard-to-make medical decisions and life-sustaining hospital procedures need a plan. An advance healthcare directive is simply a communication tool, so your family members feel confident in making decisions for you in the event of a health issue. Doctors and other medical practitioners rely on this document to make key decisions that reflect your wishes, given the medical situation you are in.
How to Prepare an Advance Healthcare Directive?
The process of preparing an advance healthcare directive starts with you talking with your family and physicians about the decisions you would want to make once your health seriously declines. It’s essential to set out in clear and ambiguous language the treatment options you do and don’t want.
For instance, you have to tell them whether you want life support treatments, a do-not-resuscitate order, or a do-not-intubate order. You can also tell them whether or not you want to become an organ donor. Finally, it’s best to have an attorney to help you prepare all the required documents and make your decisions legally binding in writing.
What Happens if Someone Doesn't Have an Advance Healthcare Directive?
In Florida, when someone becomes unable to speak for themselves during a medical emergency, the decision maker should be chosen by order of priority:
- Spouse
- Adult Child – If there’s more than one, then the majority of adult children available for consultation.
- Parent
- Adult Sibling – If there’s more than one, then the majority of adult siblings are available for consultation.
- Adult Relative – One who has maintained regular contact, has exhibited concern and care, and is familiar with the patient’s health, activities, and religious or moral beliefs.
- Close Friend
- Clinical Social Worker Chosen by the Provider’s Bioethics Committee
How Myrthil's Law, P. A.
Can Help
Myrthil’s Law, P. A. will be happy to assist you in obtaining or creating the necessary forms and documents you need for your advance healthcare directive. We believe that preparing an advance healthcare directive can be complex, and this is where top-notch legal assistance comes in handy.
There are tricky situations that often arise when it comes to dealing with hospitals and other health-related scenarios. Thankfully, a qualified, experienced attorney can help you navigate these situations. Our practitioner, Attorney Luby Myrthil, has seen numerous situations and how they affected our clients.
Our experienced staff will help you size up the risk involved in various scenarios, tackle those possible situations with a sound plan, and feel the peace that comes with knowing you are ready for various outcomes to your health. We will help you get through tough times competently.
