Free Advance Directives Online

With great regularity we tell folks that to protect your interests, your heirs and your estate you need certain paperwork. One of the problems with such paperwork is that it can often be expensive but now one part of the problem is being resolved without cost.

Such paperwork connects with decisions regarding whether or not to get a reverse mortgage because they impact your overall financial planning. Miss a few sheets of paper and the costs could be substantial. No less important, it could happen that your wishes and preferences are not followed.

The American Hospital Association has created a website called Put It In Writing.Org, an idea which ought to be applauded.

I found out about the site from the Maryland state attorney general, much to its credit about as pro-consumer as any state office in the country. The MD attorney general has a page regarding advance directives and provides such forms without cost to state residents.

Such information is great news for folks in Maryland, but what about elsewhere? The Maryland site has a link to Put It In Writing and that’s where matters become interesting. Why? Because state-specific forms for many jurisdictions are available.

The Maryland attorney general explains advance directives this way:

“Everyone has the right to make personal decisions about health care. Doctors ask whether you will accept a treatment by discussing the risks and benefits and working with you to decide. But what if you can no longer make your own decisions? Anyone can wind up hurt or sick and unable to make decisions about medical treatments. An advance directive speaks for you if you are unable to and helps make sure your religious and personal beliefs will be respected. It is a useful legal document for an adult of any age to plan for future health care needs. While no one is required to have an advance directive, it is smart to think ahead and make a plan now. If you don’t have an advance directive and later you can’t speak for yourself, then usually your next of kin will make health care decisions for you. But even if you want your next of kin to make decisions for you, an advance directive can make things easier for your loved ones by helping to prevent misunderstandings or arguments about your care.”

Put It in Writing has several great features.

First, a page where you can download state-specific advance directives.

Second, a link for local hospice care.

Third, a discussion of legal myths regarding advanced directives.

There’s more on Put It In Writing.Org, much of it unusually valuable.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 4th, 2008 at 4:52 am and is filed under Topics for Seniors . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.