Knowledgeable Spanaway Attorneys Draft Living Wills for Clients

Washington State law firm helps individuals document their end-of-life treatment wishes

If you are incapacitated and cannot make decisions for yourself, having a living will in place helps ensure that your wishes for end-of-life medical care are carried out. At Strong International Law Group in Spanaway, we draft living wills that clearly describe clients’ wishes. Our attorneys, who have more than 27 years of combined experience, assist Washington residents throughout Pierce County with the full range of estate planning needs, including preparing living wills and other advance directives.

What is a living will?

A living will is a type of advance directive that legally documents a person’s wishes if they cannot make healthcare decisions for themselves because they are permanently unconscious or terminally ill and death is imminent. It describes in writing the medical treatment a person wants or does not want. Some of the end-of-life care decisions a living will can address include:

  • Whether you want resuscitation attempts made if your heart stops beating
  • Whether you want to be fed or hydrated through a tube
  • If you want a mechanical ventilator if you can’t breathe on your own

A living will can also describe your wishes for organ donation and other things. Our estate planning attorneys can counsel you about the decisions you may wish to address in your living will and prepare it for you.

Why do I need a living will?

If you do not have a living will and are unable to communicate your wishes, the decisions about your end-of-life care and comfort will be made for you by someone else. You may not get the end-of-life treatment that you would have wanted for yourself if the decision is left to others. If you have a healthcare power of attorney in which you named an individual to make healthcare decisions for you, your living will can reinforce your wishes should your power of attorney be challenged. We can help ensure that your wishes are followed by drafting a valid living will that fully captures your wishes.  

What are the requirements for a valid living will in Washington?

There are specific requirements for a living will to be valid in Washington State. They include the following:

  • You must be at least 18 years old to have a living will
  • You must be of sound mind
  • You must sign the living will in front of a notary public or two witnesses who are not related to you and who are not beneficiaries of your estate

Our law firm will make sure that all the required steps are completed in preparing your living will.

Contact our compassionate attorneys for help with your living will

Since 2011, the estate planning attorneys at Strong International Law Group in Spanaway have drafted living wills and other advance directives for clients. To schedule a free consultation, call our firm at 253-331-2889, or contact us online.