Advanced Directives in Georgia

Our law firm can help you plan for managing future challenges.

Elder Law covers the many aspects of estate planning and healthcare planning for matters related to senior care. Elder law is a specialized area of estate planning. We offer legal expertise to create plans for how to access and afford healthcare, assisted living, nursing home care, hospice, and related eldercare needs.

As family members age, a prudent move is to create an Advance Directive for healthcare. It is virtually impossible to predict when a major medical crisis or tragic event will occur. When the inevitable problems related to age arise your Advance Directive can make it easier to manage a complicated situation.

Preparing an advance directive with our law firm affords you the luxuries of time and a clear mind. If you’re caught off-guard you’re in an urgent reactive mode, and may not have all of the information you need to make good decisions.

Act now to create advance directives that you can rely on to manage life’s difficult challenges.

What Does an Advance Directive Include?

Typically, an advance directive includes two critical components.

Durable Power of Attorney

A legal document called a Power of Attorney authorizes and empowers a person (Agent) that you (Principal) designate to handle your personal matters should you become incapacitated. In Georgia, there are three types of powers of attorney: durable power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, springing power of attorney.

Living Will

A Living Will defines how a person wants to be treated when they are dying. A Living Will is unlike a Last Will & Testament which pertains to management and distribution of property and finances upon a person’s death.

Additional Special Provisions

It is very common to include specific provisions related to medical care. An advance directive can be written to cover most situations. Common medical dilemmas that arise and which need fast answers are:

• Resuscitate a patient
• Emergency surgery
• Life saving equipment (dialysis, ventilators, etc.)
• Organ donation
• Palliative care

Why Create Advance Directives?

Without a formal advanced directive your family members can be unexpectedly thrust into an urgent need to make life and death decisions. When confronted with limited information, high emotions and concerns over how to pay for care, the situation can be overwhelming.

What Should You Do Now?

Ultimately, what matters is that situations are handled according to the desires of the person most affected. We invite you to contact us to schedule a consultation to learn more about advance directives in Georgia.