Creating advance directives ensures medical teams follow your preferences, clarifies decision-making authority for loved ones, and helps reduce family conflicts during crisis moments. These documents also streamline care planning, preserve dignity, and support lawful options for end-of-life care that reflect faith, culture, and personal values.
A comprehensive approach delivers consistent guidance across hospitals, clinics, and home care. It ensures your treatment preferences remain central even as care teams change, minimizing misinterpretations and aligning medical actions with your stated goals.
Our firm prioritizes clear communication, transparent pricing, and responsive support. We tailor advance directive planning to fit your goals, family structure, and budget, helping you feel confident that your healthcare choices will guide care in line with your values.
Before closing, we provide final copies, confirm storage locations, and remind you of when to renew or revise the documents. Clients leave with clear instructions and a plan that remains meaningful as health needs evolve.
An advance directive is a formal document that records your medical preferences for treatment and end-of-life care. It may name a health care proxy and specify actions you want or do not want, guiding clinicians and family members when you cannot speak. It also helps ensure your values influence medical decisions during crises. A living will is closely related and provides concrete guidance on life-sustaining interventions.
To appoint a health care proxy in North Carolina, select a trusted person and designate them in an advance directive or independent proxy document. The appointment should be witnessed and, if required, notarized. Discuss your values with the agent and provide written instructions to guide decisions.
An advance directive covers medical treatment preferences and designates a health care proxy; a living will focuses on specific instructions for life-sustaining treatment. The combination provides clear guidance for clinicians and families when you cannot communicate your wishes.
Yes. You can update directives as your health, goals, and circumstances change. It is common to revise documents after major life events, such as marriage, births, relocation, or changes in health status. Always sign and store updated copies securely.
A living will should address core preferences for life-sustaining treatments, while an advance directive should name a health care agent and outline decision criteria. Consider including values, goals of care, and specific scenarios to guide your proxies and clinicians.
While you can draft these documents without an attorney, having legal guidance reduces risk of errors and ensures compliance with North Carolina requirements. An attorney can tailor directives to your unique family structure and health needs.
Store originals in a secure, accessible location and provide copies to your health care proxy, physician, and trusted family members. Consider digital backups and ensure facilities can retrieve the directives quickly during emergencies.
Costs vary based on document complexity and whether additional services, such as continuous reviews, are included. We provide transparent pricing and package options to fit different needs and budgets.
