Kingwood , Texas Directives to Physicians Attorney

Experienced Texas Estate Planning Lawyer

A directive to physicians also called a living will, health care directives, or advance directives are legal documents where a person can choose to prevent medical personnel from using life sustaining treatments for life-threatening health situations.

If you have life threatening injuries, in which you are put on life support ( meaning your body's basic functions are being managed by machines ) and there is little hope you would ever recover, then a directive to physicans would dictate what medical actions should be taken. Some people would rather pull the plug and their body be allowed to die rather than be a long term patient at the hospital where the costs will quickly out grow their assets, preventing these assets from being passed down to family and friends. Even in times when a patient does at least partially recover from serious injury, there are sometimes left mentally and or physically disabled, causing a burden on their family.

The following are some the more frequently asked questions I often receive.

What is the difference between a living will, health care directives, advanced directives, and directives to physicans?
They are just different names for the same thing.

If I am on life support and die, can the hospital take my assets after death?
Yes

What is a Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions?
This is a document that allows you to appoint someone else to make Health Care Decisions for you, when you are either physically or mentally unable to make these decisions for yourself.

What is a Statutory Durable Power of Attorney?
This is a document that allows you to appoint someone else to handle your financial affairs, business affairs, sale of property, etc....everything other than medical decisions...This document can become effective immediately upon your signing it, or, it can become effective when you become disabled and unable to make these decisions for yourself.

What is a Living Will?
A living will is a document that states that you do not wish to be kept alive, even with life-sustaining treatment, if you are suffering from a terminal condition and you are expected to die within 6 months. This document is sometimes referred to as a “directive to physician.”

What is a Will?
A will is a document that disposes of your property, and can also express your desire as to your children’s guardian, after your death.

Do I really need a Will?
If you own anything and you want to determine how your property passes at the time of your death, then you need a will.

Are Living Wills expensive?
$200.00 for basic living will

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