Living Wills (Advanced Decision)

A Living Will is a term often used for a legal statement called an advance decision. An advance decision is something you put in place in case you later become incapacitated or terminally ill, and it enables you to refuse medical treatment if required in the future.

To put an advance decision in place, you need to be over the age of eighteen, and must be judged to have the mental capacity to make this type of decision about your future. If you wish to refuse life sustaining treatment in the future then an advance decision must be in writing.

Health and Welfare Attorneys

Where someone is looking generally at preparing for when they are older and considering putting something in place to cover welfare situations that may arise in the future, then it is appropriate to consider making a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney to appoint someone to make health and welfare decisions on your behalf should you lose mental capacity.