A survey published in 2014 by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine shows that a large number of Americans do not have an advance medical directive. “This is the generic term for any document that gives instructions about your health care and appoints someone to make medical treatment decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself.” This article discusses the rules for advance medical directives that exist in the State of Georgia, but the rules can be similar across the country. These types of directives are a crucial part of estate planning and should not be ignored. People often make the mistake of believing that estate planning only involves making a will. It is a good idea to meet with an experienced estate planning attorney to put together an advance medical directive.
See Melanie L. Marks, Myths and facts about advance medical directives, Savannah Morning News, February 23, 2016.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
