When an individual in California begins planning their estate, one of the factors that they may take into consideration is whether they would like to create an advance health care directive. An advance health care directive allows an individual who is planning their estate to set guidelines for how health matters are handled in the event that they become incapacitated due to a medical issue. The person creating the directive will choose an individual who will be in charge of handling any of these matters in the event of incapacitation.
Advance health care directives may also be referred to as living wills, health care proxy, designation of surrogate, or power of attorney for health care. Some of the important matters that can be addressed in an advance health care directive include the following:
- What the individual believes should be considered incapacitated
- Whether the individual wishes to receive life-saving care or not (i.e. do or do not resuscitate)
- Ensure that medical care decisions are only made if they line up with the individual’s beliefs, principles, and/or religious practices
- Determine whether the person appointed can obtain medical records in an emergency
- State when the document will go into effect
If you need assistance creating an advance health care directive in California, contact our firm today.
Working with an experienced estate planning attorney, such as Jaci Feldman of the Woodland Hills, California, Law Office of Yacoba Ann Feldman, will ensure that you are taken care of when you need it most. Contact The Law Offices of Yacoba Ann Feldman to schedule a consultation today.