Advanced directive may be one of the most important and underutilized tools in estate planning and health planning. This is partially due to the stigma that people have about advanced directives, as if, by planning how to deal with health issues, they are somehow going to cause health problems. However, the reality is that most people will encounter at least one medical emergency during their lifetime. In the event that the health event renders a person unable to communicate his or her wishes, the advanced directive is a method of ensuring that the patient is still able to communicate his or her wishes. This is specifically relevant in scenarios where third parties may have to make decisions about whether to provide or withhold life-saving treatments.

There are a number of different documents that fall under the rubric of advanced directives. The term encompasses all legally binding written documents that describe...
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