Making Legal Plans

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than
you can see."
                                                                       - Sir Winston Churchill

 

Metastatic cancer affects all areas of your life. It can be a legal and financial burden on you and your family. If you feel confused or don’t know where to start, you are not alone. But there are things you can do to put plans in place and cope with the emotional and financial stress of metastatic cancer. Completing a will and advance directives can ease your mind and let your family know your wishes.

Simple wills do not require a lawyer; individuals can create simple wills using standard forms, will-making computer software or online services. You can do your own will online. Books, forms and software to help you create a simple will are available from Nolo, a long-time, reputable source of free and low cost legal information, or from your local library.

If you have a difficult or complex situation, a do-it-yourself will is not a good option and you should consult an attorney or estate planning professional.

Please make sure you complete advance directives, which are legal documents that allow people to convey their decisions about their care ahead of time. Thinking about getting your legal affairs in order and putting your advance directives in place may be difficult, but they will make it possible to ensure as much as possible that your wishes will be followed, now and at the end of your life. Advance directives are available for all 50 states.

The most common advance directives are a health care proxy and a living will. A health care proxy allows someone to make medical decisions for you any time you are unable to make decisions for yourself. You and your proxy should have ongoing conversations about your wishes, so that he or she will make the best decisions on your behalf when needed.

A living will is a legal document that you can used to make your wishes known regarding life-prolonging and symptom-managing medical treatments. In this document, you can indicate which treatments you do or do not want applied to you if you suffer from a terminal illness, are at the end of life or enter a permanent vegetative state

Know that you can change your mind at any time, even after you’ve signed your documents.

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