A Living Will in New York State allows you to document your express wishes concerning medical treatment and care at the end of life. Your preferences regarding matters such as life-sustaining medical care or life-support, e.g., cardiac resuscitation, mechanical respiration, artificial nutrition and hydration, or antibiotics, can be stated in your Living Will.
The potentially heart wrenching nature of such decisions has been brought to light by landmark cases such as Terri Schiavo, Mary O’Connor, Nancy Cruzan and Karen Ann Quinlan.
The importance of a Living Will in New York State recognized by the New York Court of Appeals in the case of In re Westchester County Medical Center, 72 N.Y.2d 517 (1988). This case established the need for “clear and convincing” evidence of a patient’s wishes regarding end of life care, and stated the “ideal situation is one in which the patient’s wishes were expressed in some form of writing, perhaps a 'living will'.”
Living Will Should Reflect Your Wishes
There is no standard form of Living Will in New York. If you choose to have one – and there are reasons why you may not -- your Living Will should reflect your wishes for health care and treatment if you should become incapacitated, terminally ill, or unlikely to regain consciousness.
Contact the lawyers at Lamson & Cutner in NYC to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss whether a Living Will is appropriate for you, and, if so, what provisions should be included in your Living Will.
A custom-tailored Living Will prepared for you by a New York attorney at Lamson & Cutner will reflect your personal preferences for a future time that, hopefully, neither you nor your family will have to face. Even though it is unpleasant to think about such matters, it is far preferable to plan ahead, than to suffer the difficult and heart wrenching problems that will arise if no advance directives about your care and treatment have been given. Call Toll Free 866-524-1818 to schedule an appointment. |
