Clarksville Living Will Attorneys
We live in an age where medical machines can keep us alive long after we normally would have died. And with this ability to artificially extend life comes the question of whether we want to be kept alive by a machine if we become incapacitated. Doctors used to make these calls. But in 2004, Tennessee enacted the Right to Natural Death Act that allows each Tennessean to create a document instructing loved ones on how long they wish to be kept alive by artificial means in the event that they are incapacitated.
The lawyers at Batson Nolan PLC like to include a living will in our estate planning package for just this reason. A living will is a legal document that contains two end-of-life elections:
- Whether or not one wants to be kept alive by artificial means when the doctors have told your family that you have no meaningful chance of survival; and
- Whether or not one wishes to be an organ donor.
The living will is extremely important as it deals with two very sensitive end-of-life preferences. Our Clarksville living will attorneys strongly encourage our clients to execute living wills for two reasons.
Two Reasons Why Everyone Needs A Living Will
Everyone needs a living will regardless of age because tragedies happen every day. And if a tragic accident renders you unable to make health care decisions for yourself, the only way to ensure that your desires are honored is to have a living will properly in place. Let’s look at an example.
- Jane has always told her family that in the event she became terminally ill, incapacitated and had no chance of survival, that she would not want to be kept alive artificially. She strongly preferred to be allowed to die naturally. When Jane gets in a car wreck that leaves her in a coma, her distraught husband heartbroken at the thought of losing her. He decides to keep her artificially alive even though the doctors have told them she has no chance of meaningful life in the future. If Jane has a living will in place, her preference would prevail over her husband’s emotionally charged decision.
The second reason that everyone should have a living will is to save their loved ones from being forced to make horrific decisions in the midst of intense grief. No one wants to be responsible for “pulling the plug” on someone they love. You can save your family this pain by letting our Clarksville living will lawyers help you execute a living will as soon as possible.
How Our Clarksville Living Will Lawyers Can Help
The Clarksville living will attorneys at Batson Nolan PLC can give you peace of mind. They can legally document your desires so they are honored if you are incapable of making decisions for yourself. Call us at 931-650-5484 or contact us online to set up a free consultation today!
Our experienced legal team also handles other types of estate planning cases, including:
Call 931-650-5484 to plan your estate today!