Healthcare Directives
Advanced healthcare directives are a key component of a well-conceived estate plan, ensuring your medical needs are met if you cannot communicate your preferences. Thinking about being incapacitated is daunting, but planning for the possibility is the wise and responsible thing to do.
Working with the Law Office of Brian L. Fox, APLC, you can create legal documents to protect your well-being. As a leading estate planning practice serving clients in Santa Barbara and Ventura County, we have a well-deserved reputation as informed advisers who provide each client with trustworthy advice and guidance.
Let us walk you through creating an advance directive for healthcare and other essential documents as part of a comprehensive estate planning strategy. When you become our client, you can rest easy knowing you have taken steps to protect your well-being. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
Why Do I Need Healthcare Directives?
As challenging as incapacity planning is, healthcare directives act as a lifeline if you cannot make medical decisions independently due to an illness, accident, or declining health. Suppose you experience a medical emergency or suffer a catastrophic injury in a car accident. You want a trusted person to coordinate your medical treatment with your doctors.
Without specifying your care preferences and designating a healthcare representative in a well-drafted directive, your family may need court approval to make medical decisions on your behalf. This could lead to disputes and court battles, adding unnecessary stress during a crisis.
By working with our widely respected estate planning attorney, you can create the necessary legal documents, ensuring you receive the care you prefer. Trust the Law Office of Brian L Fox to guide you through the process and offer support at every step.
Types of California Healthcare Directives
Our Ventura County estate planning attorneys work closely with clients to create the necessary estate planning documents to plan for their healthcare, including:
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
This document, also called a healthcare proxy, allows you to name a trusted person to make decisions about your medical care should you become temporarily or permanently incapacitated. The person you select acts as your agent to coordinate your care with your doctors. By creating a healthcare proxy, you can rest easy knowing that you will receive the treatment you prefer when you cannot speak for yourself.
Living Will
A Living Will, not to be confused with a “will,” is another essential medical directive.
Is a living will. This document declares the type of medical treatment you should receive if you become terminally ill, physically incapacitated or unconscious, or are otherwise unable to make or communicate decisions regarding your preferred end-of-life treatment. In particular, a living will can establish whether or not extraordinary measures, such as a ventilator, should be used to prolong life.
Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR)
A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR) alerts doctors, nurses, and other emergency personnel not to use cardiopulmonary resuscitation to keep you alive in an emergency. This document is typically used with other healthcare directives by critically ill individuals who do not wish to receive such treatment to prolong life.
HIPAA Authorization
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a federal law that protects personal health information and medical records. A HIPAA authorization form, required under the law, allows another organization and your healthcare proxy to access a patient’s medical records and history if needed.
Creating legally binding healthcare directives in Santa Barbara requires careful consideration and several legal steps. A lawyer knowledgeable in California’s laws and regulations regarding advanced directives can put documents in place to ensure your healthcare preferences are not just respected, but legally protected.
How Our Firm Can Help
At the Law Office of Brian L. Fox, we bring a wealth of experience to creating healthcare directives. We understand that each individual’s situation is unique and provide compassionate representation and personalized attention at every step.
Our team is here to help you create advanced healthcare directives that clearly state your preferences and ensure your wishes will be respected when it matters most. Our comprehensive suite of services includes:
- Consulting on your healthcare wishes and values
- Drafting of a Medical Power of Attorney to appoint a trusted decision-maker
- Preparing a Living Will to specify your treatment preferences
- Putting a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order in place
- Creating a Durable Power of Attorney for managing your personal and business affairs (e.g., paying bills, managing investments)
Knowing that creating healthcare directives is not a one-time event, we provide ongoing counsel to ensure your documents reflect your present circumstances and preferences.
With our guidance and support, you will know that your healthcare preferences will be respected and your well-being will be protected.
Talk To a Ventura County Healthcare Directive Attorney Today
Healthcare directives are essential legal documents that ensure your preferences for medical care are known and respected when you cannot speak for yourself. Trust our team to provide comprehensive and compassionate legal support in securing your healthcare preferences for the future. Serving clients in Santa Barbara and Ventura County, we are the firm of choice for wills, trusts, and estates. Contact us today to get started.
