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Advanced Medical Directives in Maryland Estate Planning

An advanced medical directive or a medical power of attorney are two documents used to nominate a healthcare agent to make important healthcare decisions for you when you lack the capacity to do so on your own. The document can express your wishes for life support and the administration of nutrition, hydration, medicine or procedures to alleviate pain, as well as organ donation. Typically, an advance medical directive will also waive the HIPAA regulations so that your healthcare agent can have access to your medical records to make an educated decision regarding your healthcare. For more information about advance medical directives, call and schedule a consultation with an estate planning lawyer in Maryland.

Primary Benefits of Having Advanced Medical Directive

The first benefit of having an advanced medical directive is that you have gone through the process of honing your wishes for medical treatment in certain medical situations. For example, with your Maryland estate planning lawyer, you have given thought to whether or not you would want life support or nutrition administered or whether you want to be an organ donor. The next important benefit is that you have detailed those wishes in a legal document which allows someone else to step in on your behalf in the event that you can no longer make important healthcare decisions on your own. One of the most important benefits of having a properly executed medical power of attorney or an advanced medical directive is that it may alleviate the necessity of having a guardian appointed for you to make medical or healthcare decisions in the event that you need one.

Key Considerations When Appointing Agents

When deciding on an agent, you should consider whether the person named is the best person to make your medical decisions in your stead. Will they be able to make the decision? Do you trust them to put your decisions into place? Will they respect your choices for organ donation or life support? You really want to make sure that you have chosen somebody with whom you are comfortable discussing these issues, but also whom you trust will do their very best to honor your wishes when making decisions for you.

There are several terms that describe documents, and types of documents or trusts. There are terms which describe the fiduciary roles. There are numerous terms which are just very unique to this area of law.

Importance of Consulting a Maryland Estate Planning Lawyer

It is important to speak with an attorney so that you can understand what those definitions mean as you are completing your documents. A Maryland estate planning attorney can also tell you what they mean for each state, and what is included in the term.