Medical malpractise law in Australia

One of the questions you may be asked when you visit a doctor's office or hospital is if you have a living will. This is something you may think you are too young for. You may also think your health is good and you do not need to have a living will. The truth is a living will can bring several benefits to your life, especially when emergencies occur. Here are a few of those benefits and what to know about each one. 

Authorise Treatments

One of the biggest benefits to a living will deals with your treatments. If you are incapacitated or unable to give authorisation on a choice of treatments, your living will can stand as your consent. For example, if receiving a certain kind of treatment means you will be placed on life support for a specified amount of time or placed into a medically induced coma, then you can state in your will whether you agree to this. You can place a statement in your living will if there are treatments you do not want as well, including being kept alive by life support systems. 

Ensuring Your Medical Wishes

There are medical issues played out on the news involving the question of treatment choices. These issues are often cases where family members are arguing on what they would want to have happen. With a living will, not only can you authorise certain treatments, but you can also ensure that your authorisation is the final word on the matter. This reduces arguments in the family or questions regarding if a choice you have made is the same as the one being made by your spouse or significant other. 

Unnecessary Debts

One of the things you may not think about is how having a living will may help avoid unnecessary debts. For example, if your treatment will require long term care in a facility, you be facing large amounts of debt. Your insurance may cover certain portions of the treatment, but other portions may lead to medical expenses your family can't cover. By having a living will, you can avoid this issue for the treatments you and your loved ones determine you do not want to endure 

If you believe that it is time for you to set up a living will, contact your lawyer. They can help you draft the living will that fits your needs and requests. They can also ensure that the will is taken care of legally and registered. This will allow it to be legally binding when and if you do need to use it. Keep in mind, you should also let a family member or close friend know about the living will so it can be referred to if necessary. Contact a lawyer for more information regarding wills.