Understanding Advance Directives

The Directive to Physicians, or advanced directives, is a legal document that allows you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care while you are still alive. The directive provides a way for you to have your wishes known to the family, friends, and healthcare providers. This is all so that you can avoid the confusion later on when you are no longer able to make your own decisions. It should be noted that Texas law now allows for an option where a person’s signature can be acknowledged by a notary rather than witness signatures. This also includes digital or electronic signatures on such things as Directive to Physicians, out of hospital do not resuscitate order and medical power of attorney.

Different Directives

Keep in mind there are several types of directives. A kind of directive is the Medical Power of Attorney. This document gives the individual that you name as your agent or authority to make all of your health care decisions based on your wishes. Directive to Physicians is a form that is designed to assist you in communicating how you want your medical treatment to be undertaken at some point in the future when you are unable to make your wishes known. The next is a Declaration of Mental Health Treatment. This document allows you to make decisions about your mental health treatment in advance. With this directive, the instructions can only be followed if the court actually believes that you are incapacitated to make your own medical decisions. There is also the Out-of-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Directive. This essentially makes it to where healthcare professionals who go to your home in case of emergency forgo resuscitation and allow the patient to have a natural death with peace and dignity.

Estate Planning Attorney in Wylie, Texas

These are all tough decisions to make but are very important. It is highly possible that you will reach a point in your life that you are no longer able to make your own decisions. Just like a will is essential, so is having all of your documents in order in advance to avoid confusion and make the transition of your state as seamless as possible. It is advised by the state of Texas that you have your attorney review the law in Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 166 for more details on the above directives. Edmondson Law, PLLC specializes in estate planning and directives and will assist you in this process. If you need help with an advance directive, then do not delay and call the professional staff of Edmondson Law today.

 

Information, Not Legal Advice. We provide the information on this website as a public service. The legal landscape is constantly changing and being modified by state law and case law. As a result, we cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and reflective of the most current jurisprudence.

We do not intend this information to be legal advice. By providing this information, we are not acting as your lawyer. If you need legal advice, you should contact a lawyer through our number (972) 442-8326 or contact another attorney of your choosing.