In these uncertain times regarding matters of health, we have seen an uptick in questions and requests for documents regarding medical care.
Broadly speaking, these documents are now largely known as medical directives, advance medical directives or advance directives (“medical directives’). (In former times, these documents may have been called living wills or health care powers of attorney).
Simply stated, medical directives are written instructions regarding your preferences for your medical care if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. Typically, the written instructions are, at a minimum, applied in circumstances involving end-stage, terminal, or persistent vegetative state situations. Age is not a factor because these situations can, unfortunately, occur at any time.
WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE THIS DOCUMENT?
- First, a medical directive will help you to avoid medical care that you do not want. Do you really want a stranger making serious healthcare decisions for you if you cannot make those decisions yourself?
- Second, a medical directive will help you to avoid needless pain and suffering.
- Third, a medical directive will help you get exactly the medical care that you want and that you need.
- Fourth, a medical directive will lift heavy decision-making burdens from the ones whom you love. You make the decisions before a major medical event so they do not have to do so.
- Fifth, by making these important decisions in advance, a medical directive can not only provide clarity about your desires, it can prevent divisive and costly family squabbles, disagreements, fights and, yes, lawsuits.
- Sixth, a medical directive can allow you to make decisions about organ donation.
Seventh, a medical directive allows you to name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Before you can complete your medical directive, you will need to collect the following information:
- Your name, DOB, and full address
- The name(s) address, and phone number for the person(s) you will designate as your primary and secondary health choice agent (you can also provide and third choice backup agent).
- Your treatment preferences
- Your in-case-of death preferences
For a more detailed list of information needed download our Medical Directive worksheet.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR MEDICAL DIRECTIVE:
When you are ready to go over your medical directive plan with an experienced law attorney, we have three ways for you to get started:
Download The Worksheet
Click download below to get your worksheet where you can preview and gather all the information required for a medical directive.
Complete our online form
Ready to complete your worksheet now? Fill out our online worksheet and our professionals will begin preparing your documents.
email your worksheet
If you already downloaded and completed the medical directive worksheet, attach and send it to our professionals via email to get your documents prepared.
NEXT STEPS:
Once you submit your worksheet, your documents will be carefully prepared. We will contact you to schedule a time to sign your documents.
Need help in this area?
The McCollum Firm offers one free 10-minute phone consultation. We will do our best to give a quick honest evaluation as efficiently as possible. Some cases are not worth the time, energy, and money to pursue, and we will always let you know if it is worth it.
7309 Baltimore Ave, Suite 117
College Park, MD 20740
(301) 864-6070 office
(301) 537-0661 mobile
(301) 864-4351 fascimile
jmccollum@jmlaw.net
Attorneys specializing in this practice area
James E. McCollum, Jr
In 1988, Mr. McCollum started the law firm of James E. McCollum, Jr., P.C. (now The McCollum Firm). In 2002, Mr. McCollum was presented an award as a Finalist for the Trial Lawyer of the Year by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Mr. McCollum’s professional affiliations include membership in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Bar of the State of Maryland, the Bar of the District of Columbia and the American Bar Association.
Last Will & Testament
In these uncertain times regarding matters of health, we have seen an uptick in questions and requests for documents regarding estate planning and administration services including wills & trusts, asset protection, and business succession. The McCollum Firm has...
Power of Attorney
Uncertain times regarding health not only cause major life-and-death concerns, they cause uncertainty regarding our property and finances (as the stock market is graphically illustrating). A power of attorney is a document in which you give another person (called your...