Arizona Wills Laws

Living Wills in Scottsdale, Arizona

I want to speak to you today regarding what a living will is in the state of Arizona. A living will is a written statement containing a person’s directives as to the medical care they authorize, as well as the medical care they may refuse in the event they are ever incapacitated and unable to express their desires regarding that medical care.

Health Care Power of Attorney

People usually also create a health care power of attorney, designating a person authorized to make medical decisions for that person if he or she is incapacitated. It’s a good idea to execute a health care power of attorney in the event you’re living will fails to include an unexpected health care situation that simply was not covered in your living will. Please feel free to contact the attorneys at Hildebrand Law if you have any other questions regarding living wills in Arizona.

By: Chris Hildebrand

A basic estate plan is going to include a last will and testament, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney with mental health powers and living will, and a personal property list if the individual chooses to create one. These are documents that every estate plan will have. From there, people have choices. For example, if you have minor children and want money paid to them over time, many couples will elect to create a revocable living trust. A trust will allow for the passing of someone’s estate without going through probate, keeping your financial information private, and allowing for money and assets to be given out over time, rather than one lump some, which is what happens in a probate situation. There are additional estate-planning documents that can be drafted if you want to avoid probate and you do not have a trust. For example, a beneficiary deed will allow you to select who will receive your house and other real estate immediately upon your death without ever having to go through the probate process. And, the Motor Vehicle Department now allows us to prepare a beneficiary designation, so that you can select who will receive your vehicle upon your death. There are many tools that an estate planner can provide to help you with setting things up to care for you and your loved ones. If you would like to create, revise, or update your estate plan, please call Owens & Perkins at (480) 994-8824.

If you would like to review estate planning documents with an attorney, visit this profile and submit a contact form.

By: Attorney Michelle Perkins

A living will is a declaration that you do not want to be kept alive if you are in a persistent vegetative state, an irreversible coma, or have an incurable illness or progressive disease and you will die naturally unless heroic or artificial measures, such as a feeding tube, or a breathing apparatus are used. A living will can declare that if you are in a persistent vegetative state, irreversible coma, or dying from an incurable disease or illness, you want as much pain medication as you need to be kept comfortable, even if hastens the moment of your death, or exceeds routine guidelines. A living will is different than a health care power of attorney, which gives authority to your agent to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. Today, most clients also want a mental health care power of attorney, which declares that if you are unable to give informed consent to your placement in a facility or other recommended treatment, your agent has the authority to agree to the placement or treatment without first obtaining a court order. I’m Mark Bregman. Contact me at (480) 945-9131 to find out how I can use my knowledge and experience to help you and your family from suffering during an end of life experience.

By: Attorney Mark Bregman