Planning for your future care with advance decisions. Make informed choices about your future medical care with expert guidance and support. Understanding advance decisions An advance decision (sometimes called a ‘living will’) lets you specify your preferences for future medical treatment while you have the capacity to make these important choices. It comes into effect if you’re unable to make or communicate such decisions later in life. Our experienced private client team will guide you through creating an advance decision that clearly reflects your wishes. We understand these are deeply personal choices that require careful consideration and expert legal guidance. Your advance decision can address specific medical treatments, outline circumstances for certain care decisions and document your values and beliefs that should guide future medical choices. This includes making clear statements about life-sustaining treatment preferences, ensuring your wishes are understood and respected. Making your advance decision legally valid While advance decisions can be made verbally, we strongly recommend creating a written document to ensure your wishes are clear and legally binding. This is particularly crucial when addressing life-sustaining treatment, where written documentation is a legal requirement. Our team will ensure your advance decision is properly structured and documented, giving you confidence that it will be followed when needed. Advance decisions and Lasting Powers of Attorney You might want to consider a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (HWLPA) alongside or instead of an advance decision. An HWLPA allows you to appoint someone you trust to make health and welfare decisions on your behalf if needed. The key distinction is that while an advance decision provides specific written instructions about your care preferences, an HWLPA enables your chosen attorney to make decisions based on your known preferences and current circumstances. Our team can help you understand which option, or combination of options, best suits your needs. get in touch Contact Holly Chantler Partner, Head of Department Private Client & Court of Protection 01737 854 525 Message Connect On this page Contact our Private Client lawyers Get in touch
