Seasoned Naperville, Illinois Lawyers Providing Living Wills and Powers of Attorney
A living will is a document which provides instructions regarding the care and treatment that should be provided for you in the event you are unable to make decisions for yourself.
A power of attorney is the authorization for another person to act as your agent or attorney. The agent is attorney in fact and his power is revoked upon the death of the principal.
Living wills
Life holds a lot of surprises, and it's reassuring when your future is planned for in the case of either temporary or permanent incapacity. A living will clearly specifies your wishes if you are unable to do so.
Today, many patients who formerly would have died can now be kept alive by artificial means thanks to advances in medical technology. Temporary measures may be desirable if your eventual recovery is possible. But you may only be prolonging the process of dying and may endure a poor quality of life for an extended period.
Under the law, you have the right to decide whether to begin, continue or terminate life-sustaining treatment. If you are mentally competent, you can specify your desired treatment. If not, a living will communicates your wishes. You need a living will, also called a living directive.
If there are conditions under which you would not want treatment, it is important that your wishes be documented effectively in a living will. Roscich & Roscich, Attorneys, can work with you to make sure your preferences are clearly communicated.
Powers of attorney
A power of attorney should be part of everyone's overall estate plan. Powers of attorney are suitable for estates that are relatively free of disputed issues. A durable power of attorney authorizes an individual of your choosing to make financial or personal decisions for you when you are unable to do so.
A health care power of attorney names and authorizes an individual to make all health care treatment decisions, including when and if death-delaying procedures should be employed, when you are incapacitated and unable to make those decisions for your self.
Disputes over someone's power of attorney can arise, and in those cases we can provide legal representation for that person, including protecting his or her rights if the matter reaches court.
Roscich & Roscich will help you decide which powers of attorney are best for you and your family and whether a power of attorney or guardianship is most suited for your situation.
Trusting client-attorney relationships
In estate planning, as in all our legal practice areas, the attorneys at Roscich & Roscich pursue the best interests of our clients above anything else. We believe that the facets of estate planning — including wills, trusts, estate administration and probate — are intensely personal. These matters also affect entire families, not just individuals.
We develop trusting relationships with our clients because we believe that consistent communication, honest assessments and personal service produce the best results.
