Health crises are unpredictable and present many practical difficulties. This is especially true when you are unable to care for and make decisions for yourself. Therefore, it is important to have instructions in place to provide for drastic contingencies. Advance directives provide specific instructions to direct friends and family in the event you become incapacitated and cannot make decisions for yourself. Advance directives are a basic building block of any good estate plan. The Maryland estate planning attorneys at Altman & Associates work closely with you to understand your wishes and effectively draft advance directives as part of a comprehensive estate plan.
You may have heard of do not resuscitate instructions in the event of a potentially fatal health episode. But such instructions are really just one small and extreme example of how advance health care directives work. The more likely scenario is that you suffer an acute health episode, and you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Advance directive become extremely important after you are hospitalized or when you are going into surgery. The goal of advance directives is to alert health care professionals to the following:
These decisions require a great deal of thought. Advance directives specifically instruct medical representatives and care givers as to what treatments are appropriate in the event you are terminally ill, lose consciousness, or digress into a vegetative state.
When you are having a health crisis or cannot otherwise make decisions for yourself, the world around you continues in the same manner. Expenses mount. A common concern is how your bills will be paid if you are incapacitated. Part of an advance directive package in an estate plan is a general power of attorney for exactly this type of scenario. Within reason, your appointed agent has the legal authority to act on your behalf and make sure expenses are paid and things continue smoothly. A power of attorney can be tailored to fit your unique needs and asset profile. Our experienced Maryland estate planning attorneys provide compassionate, personalized counsel and craft effective advance directive plans to fit your needs.
In a difficult situation, an advance directive can eliminate heartache. Begin or improve your estate plan, along with advance directives, with the experienced Maryland estate planning attorneys at Altman & Associates. We have convenient office locations in Columbia and Rockville. Contact us by phone at (301) 468-3220 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.