Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Washington

Re: Living Will

A living will is a document that you can prepare that states precisely what your wishes are in the event that certain conditions occur.

In my practice, the document states that two physicians have to agree that your condition is terminal - and that there is no hope of your recovery. If that is the case, then the document continues to state that you do or do not want to be fed, do or do not want to be hydrated, and do or do not want to be given drugs to alleviate pain even if doing so could hasten your death.

The document basically gives instructions to your family as to exactly what you want in the event that you are unable to communicate with them.

There is no requirement that you prepare this document. Paramedics will not respect it - they only answer to physician's orders, not laypersons. So it will not stop them from attempting a full resusitation and rush to the hospital. But at the hospital, it will clarify what you want.

Hope this helps. Elizabeth Powell