Is a living will different from a living trust?

A living trust is very different from a living will. A living trust is a way to manage and control property during your lifetime and to distribute it at your death. A living will allows you to control your health care if you become incapacitated.

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What Is a Health Care Power of Attorney?

A health care power of attorney or a health care proxy is a document that designates a person or persons you name and authorizes that person to make health care decisions for you – but only in circumstances when you can’t make the decisions for yourself.

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When does power of attorney take effect?

A power of attorney is a legal agreement that specifies a decision maker in the event of incapacitation. In other words, a power of attorney is someone trusted with the job of making financial, legal, and medical decisions for someone who can no longer do it themselves. The person who creates the power of attorney is the principal.

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Types of Power of Attorney

Power of attorney, or POA, is a document that gives a person the legal right to perform certain acts for someone else. The principal is the person who intends to have someone else act for him or her while the agent is the person appointed to carry out the actions.

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Medical Power of Attorney

A power of attorney is an agreement that gives one person the legal authority to make decisions or perform certain acts on behalf of another. If a power of attorney is created specifically for medical decisions, then it is called a medical power of attorney.

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Does a living will let me tell doctors when to withdraw life support?

A living will is a document spelling out what kind of medical care a person wants if he or she should have a terminal illness or become incapable of communicating his or her wishes. A living will can set out the kinds of treatment a person does or does not want in any circumstances. Instead of giving instructions about your medical care if you become incapacitated, a DPA names a person you trust to make those decisions for you.

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What happens if there is no living will or durable power of attorney?

A living will is a document where you give instructions about your health care if you should become incapacitated and unable to give direction yourself. A durable power of attorney (also called a “power of attorney for health care”) names a person you trust to make these decisions for you. Living wills and durable powers of attorney come into effect only if you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself.

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