Living Wills

What is a living will?

A living will is an 'advance statement' prepared while a person has mental capacity. If you have a strong opinion whether you do or do not want to receive medical treatment, should you become so ill you can't make the decision for yourself, this statement will be taken into consideration by doctors and family members. By making your wishes clear in advance this can help prevent unnecessary suffering for yourself and your loved ones.

A living will allows you to specify whether certain medical treatments should, or should not, be given in a particular situation. For example, you can instruct a doctor to withhold a particular treatment if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious. You can also specify whether you want maximum pain relief to be administered. A living will is not legally binding.

For example, a living will can be used to detail:

  • someone for the doctor to contact that you can trust to assist
    the decision being made
  • any treatment you would be happy to receive
  • any treatment you would definitely like to receive
  • any treatment you would definitely not like to receive

If you add an explanation to the statement as to why you have made these decisions, this will help the doctor and any relatives to understand why.

Once completed, your living will needs to be with your medical records so it can be accessed at any time.

Get in touch with our Private Client Team

If you would like to discuss your own situation in a sensitive and confidential environment then please contact Hannah Bunting directly on 020 7874 8564 or click ‘call back’ and we will phone you back.

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