Advance Directives Solicitors, Hamilton & Strathaven
An Advance Directive (also known as a ‘living Will’) lets doctors and other healthcare providers know of a person’s wishes as regards their future treatment. It allows a person to make legally valid decisions about their medical care for a time they can no longer tell others what they want to happen. If you would like to find out if an Advanced Directive is right for you, speak to our team today.
Mental capacity and healthcare decisions
Adults with the mental capacity to make decisions may choose to refuse medical treatment even if doing so may result in permanent physical injury or death. Doctors are expected to respect a refusal from an adult with capacity, if the patient is properly informed of the consequences and not being coerced. Refusal of treatment may be due to religious beliefs, possible serious side effects, or because they would prefer to cope rather than accept invasive treatment with possibly limited chances of success.
How might an Advanced Directive help you?
Advance Directives Solicitors based in Hamilton & Strathaven
Talk to a member of our team to find out how we can assist you.
Is an Advance Directive legally binding?
An Advance Directive is likely to be treated as legally binding if it meets certain criteria. It is still possible to rewrite it at any time as long as capacity remains. Once made, it is important that potential carers are aware of its existence which may include healthcare professionals, next of kin, family and friends and welfare attorneys if there is one.
The Advance Directive must be signed and witnessed. We can prepare the document and help make sure its purpose and contents are fully understood.