Changing Your Living Will: How To Get Started
The vast majority of Americans don't have a living will. This often becomes a problem when family members are responsible for determining what decisions will be made regarding your healthcare when you are incapacitated. Your family members might be unable to decide how your healthcare will be handled. Only a living will allows you to make decisions regarding your medical care beforehand. You may even change your living will at any time.
Reasons to Change Your living Will
When you create a living will, it is not set in stone. You are able to change the will at any time. You will want to review and update your will regularly because there might be changes in medical technology that would lead to the will becoming less relevant. You may also have a change in finances that might affect how you might choose to write your living will.
You may have a change in your health. For example, when you are diagnosed with a particular condition, that might affect how you would like your medical affairs to be handled. Moving to another state is another major life change that often leads to the need to change a living will.
When a loved one or significant other passes away, this is a good time to review your living will again. You should also consider reviewing it if you have changed your mind regarding whom you would like to care for you.
How to Change a Living Will
If you want to change your living will, your two options are either to make a codicil or to create a new living will. Before you make these changes, make sure to have two witnesses, since they are required when making changes to a living will.
If you only need to make a small change, you'll usually make a codicil. You can simply write down what you would like to add or remove from your will and sign the will afterward. Your living will is interpreted with the codicil factored in.
For example, if you originally included that you wouldn't want to be resuscitated, but you add a codicil that states that you would like to be resuscitated, the hospital should properly interpret this and resuscitate you.
When you would like to make substantial changes to your will, you may be better off writing a new one. Under this situation, contact an estate attorney office such as Wright Law Offices, PLLC to assist you in crafting a new will.