Let’s be honest. Not everyone needs a living will. I know you probably find that strange to read on an estate planning blog, but it’s true.
Nobody is putting a gun to your head and telling you that you must have a living will drawn up. I mean, you aren’t going to be held in contempt of court or face a lawsuit if you don’t prepare a living will.
5 Reasons to Avoid Getting a Living Will
And in case you think this post is in jest, here are five reasons that you absolutely, definitely, should NOT prepare a living will.
- You’ve never heard of Terri Schiavo and the legal battles that her husband and parents went through regarding whether her feeding tube should be pulled or not. She was only 27 when she suffered massive cardiac arrest and fell into a persistent vegetative state. This could NEVER happen to you or anyone you love.
- You hate your family. You don’t care if they have to grapple over when to pull the plug on you or not. And honestly, you love the fact that you would be a constant source of conversation.
- You want people doting over you. Giving you baths, wiping your butt or emptying your colostomy bags, feeding you (possibly through a tube), making sure you are flipped during the night (and days) so you don’t develop bedsores. Good times…
- You and your family are independently wealthy. Who cares how much it costs to take care of you? Your family is loaded, and besides, how much could 24/7 nursing care really cost? Not to mention the expensive equipment, modifications to your home, non-stop medical care and monitoring…
- You are selfish and you know it. You honestly don’t care whether or not you would be a burden on your loved ones, spouse, kids, etc. They should love you and suck it up. They will miss you when you are gone, so why check out so soon?
So yes, if any of these reasons sound good to you, you must absolutely, positively, avoid getting a living will.
But if, on the other hand…
You love your family, you don’t want them to suffer (either emotionally or financially), and you want to make sure you can die with dignity on your terms…
Then maybe, just maybe, you should look into having a living will drawn up. In North Carolina, we also call this document your “advanced directives”. All that stuff that I talked about happening up there can happen if you don’t put a living will in place.
A Cary Estate Planning Attorney can help you prepare a Living Will
Interested in learning more about living wills and how they can protect your family? Call Cary Estate Planning Attorney James Hart at (919) 460-5422 or fill out our online contact form and a member of our staff will call you.