Living Wills

Oklahoma Living Will Attorney

Families often discuss end-of-life issues, such as whether they would want to have artificial life support if they were in a coma with no hope of recovery. The case that often comes up in these discussions is that of Terri Schiavo in Florida. Her husband told the court that he and his wife had discussed the issue and she had said that she didn't want artificial life support. Conversely, the parents also said they had discussed the issue with her and that she had said she would want to be kept alive because of her beliefs. To avoid a controversy for your family, it's better to have it in writing. The document where you would do that is called a living will (also called a health care proxy or advance heath care directive).

At Postic & Bates, our estate planning lawyers create living wills for people in Oklahoma. A living will is a document in which you communicate to family members and health care providers whether or not you want artificial life support if you are in a terminal condition, a persistently unconscious or vegetative condition, or an end-stage condition with no hope of recovery.

Oklahoma has a statutory form for making this statement. The form allows you to designate one of three choices:

• You don't want artificial life support and you don't want a feeding tube. A feeding tube is defined as artificial nutrition and hydration.
• You don’t want artificial life support but you do want a feeding tube.
• You want to be kept alive by any means.

Your living will allows you to name a health care proxy, who is someone who has the authority to carry out your wishes, such as your spouse, child, or trusted friend.

By making your wishes known in a living will, you can avoid family disputes over whether doctors should put in a feeding tube. You can also keep your loved ones from feeling guilty for not putting in a feeding tube or keeping you alive artificially. By creating a living will, the decision to end your life will be yours, not theirs.

The only way a family member can discontinue your medical treatment in an end-of-life situation is through a living will. A durable power of attorney for health care allows your agent to make a decision short of terminating your life.

For more information about living wills, request our free Estate Planning Guide.

Free Consultation: Contact Oklahoma living will attorney Martin Postic Jr. to arrange a free consultation.