The Frieri Law Group drafts trusted legal instruments that clearly address your wishes regarding extraordinary medical care and life-sustaining treatment. A Living Will (also known as an Advance Directive for Health Care) is a crucial component of a comprehensive estate plan, ensuring your personal healthcare preferences are honored if you become unable to communicate them yourself.
A Living Will is essential for maintaining your dignity and control over your medical care. It removes the burden of making difficult life-or-death decisions from your loved ones during an emotional and stressful time.
A Living Will allows you to clearly state:
Your preferences regarding specific life-sustaining treatments, such as artificial hydration, nutrition, and mechanical respiration.
The circumstances under which these treatments should or should not be provided (e.g., if you are terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state).
To ensure your wishes are carried out, your Living Will must be created carefully and precisely. The document must clearly express your preferences for end-of-life care, including pain management, comfort care, and specific refusals of treatment.
Our attorneys guide you through making these highly personal decisions, ensuring the resulting document is legally executed, witnessed, and compliant with New Jersey law.
Your medical preferences may change over time due to shifts in your health, diagnosis, or personal values. It is important to treat your Living Will as a flexible document that should be reviewed and updated whenever there is a major change in your health, relationships (e.g., divorce or marriage), or if five to ten years have passed.
Without professional legal assistance, people often make mistakes that can render the document unenforceable or cause confusion. Common errors include:
Vague Language: Using imprecise terms that leave room for interpretation by doctors or family members.
Improper Execution: Failing to meet New Jersey’s specific legal requirements for witnessing and notarization.
Lack of Communication: Not clearly communicating the document’s existence and location to the designated Health Care Representative (Proxy).
An experienced attorney ensures your document is robust, clearly communicated, and legally binding.
The Frieri Law Group provides experienced legal services for drafting Living Wills and other types of advance directives. We offer the comprehensive assistance necessary to ensure your end-of-life wishes are legally honored.
Contact our Cranford office today to prepare your Living Will and secure peace of mind for yourself and your family.