San Francisco Living Wills & Trust Attorney
Many individuals carefully plan for the distribution of their assets after they die. All too often, these same individuals fail to plan for the health care and end-of-life decisions that may be needed when they are suddenly unable to express their wishes. San Francisco living wills protect your loved ones by removing the burden of making critical health care decisions on your behalf.
How Living Wills in San Francisco Work
California probate code states that individuals have the right to give instructions pertaining to their own health care, including naming someone else to make health care decisions when they are unable to make those decisions by themselves. This is accomplished by executing an Advance Health Care Directive, which allows you to name someone to make your health care decisions. The form enables individuals to grant limited or full decision-making authority.
Anyone you name as having full authority can make health care decisions on your behalf, including the following:
- Consent or refuse any care, treatment, service, or procedure
- Select or discharge providers of medical care
- Determine whether artificial nutrition and hydration should be provided or withheld
- Deal with after-death decisions, including organ donation and autopsy
Whether or not you appoint an agent, the form also allows you to issue your own wishes regarding every aspect of your care, including after-death decisions. Your requirements can, in some cases, override decisions made by the agent you appointed.
How an Experienced Attorney Can Help - San Francisco Living Trust Attorney
The decisions behind a living will are critical and very personal. The choices you make today may change just as your convictions can change down the road. Of course, California law allows you to revoke or replace an Advance Health Care Directive at any time. That said, you must ensure that any prior versions of your living will are completely removed from all public records. A San Francisco trust attorney with experience writing and maintaining San Francisco living wills can help in many ways by:
- Ensuring that you understand the potential results from any stipulations you make
- Helping you make alterations if your wishes change in the future
- Handling the initial filing process and ensuring that only the most current version is a matter of public record
Seek Experienced Legal Counsel
At Michael B. Bassi, A Law Corporation, our attorneys have experience handling cases pertaining to trust, estate, and probate law in San Francisco, including creating and modifying all documents pertaining to your health care and after-life wishes. To speak to one of our attorneys and learn how we can successfully resolve your legal matter, contact Michael B. Bassi, A Law Corporation today.
