Advance directives preserve patient autonomy by specifying preferred treatments, such as resuscitation or life-sustaining measures, and identifying a trusted decision maker. They can prevent family conflict, reduce delays in care, and ensure medical teams follow documented preferences even when a patient cannot speak. Properly drafted directives minimize confusion during challenging moments.
Coordinated documents ensure consistency across medical settings and legal tools, minimizing conflicting instructions and delays. By aligning directives with assets and guardianships, families experience clearer guidance during crises and more efficient care coordination. This reduces emotional strain and supports trusted decision-making under pressure.
We provide personalized, compliant documents aligned with Maryland law, and we coordinate with medical professionals to ensure your directives are accessible when needed. Our approach emphasizes listening, confirmation, and practical drafting that reduces ambiguity for families and clinicians.
Life changes warrant updates. We guide you through revisions, re-execution, and re-distribution of updated documents to maintain alignment with your current wishes and family arrangements.
An advance directive is a formal document that records your medical treatment preferences and names a trusted decision maker. It guides clinicians when you cannot speak and helps ensure your values are honored during emergencies, intensive care, or end-of-life situations. It may include choices about resuscitation, tube feeding, and life-sustaining therapies, as well as privacy and information-sharing instructions. Discussing these documents with family and your physician builds understanding, reduces confusion, and fosters trust at difficult moments. By clarifying choices in advance, you empower loved ones to act consistently with your wishes, even when the situation becomes stressful.
A health care proxy is a person you designate to make medical decisions if you are temporarily or permanently unable to speak. This individual should understand your values and be willing to advocate for your preferences even under pressure. Choose alternates and provide clear guidelines about when decisions should be shared with family or physicians. Regularly discuss updates to ensure the proxy remains aligned with your goals.
Yes, you can amend or revoke directives at any time as long as you follow the law and have proper witnesses or notarization. Keeping copies and informing your physicians ensures changes are respected. Regular reviews help ensure your directives stay aligned with current health status, personal values, and family circumstances.
A living will outlines the treatments you want to receive or avoid when you are close to end of life, such as resuscitation, ventilation, or feeding tubes. It works with a healthcare proxy to ensure decisions reflect your goals, and it can prevent unnecessary interventions that conflict with your values. It is best used in combination with other directives to provide full guidance.
Maryland law requires certain formalities for directives, such as witnesses or notarization, and may have specific forms. We ensure documents meet these requirements and are accessible to health care teams. We keep you informed about any changes in law and adapt documents to reflect new medical advances or shifts in your family structure.
Privacy and information sharing are addressed in directives to specify who may view medical records and how updates are communicated. We help you tailor access levels, ensuring compliance with privacy laws while enabling essential care coordination. This balance supports timely, patient-centered care across settings.
Costs are transparent and depend on the complexity of documents and whether updates are needed over time. We provide clear quotes, no hidden fees, and flexible scheduling to fit your calendar. Our team emphasizes reliable service and practical drafting that supports timely execution.
If no directive exists, clinicians follow default medical standards and rely on close family input, which can lead to disputes. A proactive plan prevents uncertainty and ensures decisions align with your values. Regular updates keep the directives relevant as health needs and family circumstances evolve.
Physicians respect patient directives, but they may need clear documentation and a designated decision-maker to coordinate consent. Working with a local attorney helps ensure directives and proxies adapt to Maryland’s rules and hospital policies, facilitating smooth communication between you, your proxy, and the medical team.
Store originals in a safe place and share copies with your doctor and health care proxy. Keep an updated list of contacts and notify family after signing. Review your directives annually or after major life changes and reexecute if needed to keep your plan current and effective.
