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A Living Will lets you state your healthcare wishes in advance, particularly about life-sustaining treatment if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious. It's different from a regular will - this legal document speaks specifically to medical decisions while you're still alive but unable to communicate your choices.

Under English law, Living Wills (also called Advance Decisions) became legally binding through the Mental Capacity Act 2005. When properly written and witnessed, doctors must follow your stated preferences about refusing specific treatments. Many people create one alongside a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare to ensure their medical care aligns with their values.

Creating a Living Will makes most sense when you're healthy and can think clearly about your future medical care preferences. Many people put one in place after major life events like marriage, having children, or receiving a serious diagnosis - times when you're already reviewing your legal arrangements.

A Living Will becomes especially valuable if you face planned medical procedures, develop a progressive illness, or simply want peace of mind that your wishes about life-sustaining treatment will be respected. It works alongside other advance planning tools, helping your family and medical team avoid difficult decisions during health emergencies.

• Basic Living Will: Covers fundamental decisions about life-sustaining treatment and emergency care preferences
• Comprehensive Living Will: Includes detailed healthcare preferences, specific medical conditions, and extensive treatment options
• Combined Living Will and Health Power of Attorney: Merges advance medical decisions with appointment of a healthcare proxy
• Condition-Specific Living Will: Focuses on particular medical conditions or scenarios, like terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness
• Values Statement Living Will: Emphasizes personal beliefs, religious preferences, and quality-of-life considerations alongside medical choices

• Document Creator: Any adult (18+) with mental capacity who wants to specify their future medical treatment preferences
• Healthcare Professionals: Doctors, nurses, and medical staff who must follow the Living Will's instructions when providing care
• Family Members: Close relatives who need to understand and respect the creator's wishes during medical emergencies
• Legal Representatives: Solicitors who help draft and validate the document, ensuring it meets legal requirements
• Witnesses: Independent adults who verify the creator signed voluntarily and had mental capacity at the time

• Medical Preferences: List specific treatments you want to accept or refuse, including life-sustaining care
• Personal Details: Gather full legal name, address, NHS number, and current medical conditions
• Witness Information: Arrange for two independent adults who can verify your signature and mental capacity
• Healthcare Team: Note details of your GP and any specialists involved in your care
• Family Communication: Inform close relatives about your decisions and where to find the document
• Document Storage: Keep copies with your GP, local hospital, and trusted family members

• Personal Declaration: Clear statement that you're making an advance decision about medical treatment
• Mental Capacity: Confirmation that you're over 18 and have capacity to make these decisions
• Treatment Decisions: Specific medical treatments you accept or refuse, including life-sustaining treatment
• Applicability: Precise conditions when your decisions should take effect
• Signature Section: Your dated signature, witnessed by two independent adults
• Witness Details: Names, addresses, and signatures of witnesses confirming your capacity
• Review Date: When you last reviewed or updated the document

A Living Will is often confused with a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), but they serve different purposes in healthcare planning. While both documents deal with future medical decisions, they operate quite differently under English law.

• Decision Timing: A Living Will specifies your medical treatment preferences in advance, while an LPA appoints someone to make decisions when you lose capacity
• Scope of Authority: Living Wills focus specifically on refusing certain medical treatments, whereas LPAs cover broader healthcare and welfare decisions
• Legal Effect: Living Wills take effect automatically when specific medical conditions arise, but an LPA requires registration with the Office of the Public Guardian
• Flexibility: An LPA allows your representative to respond to changing circumstances, while a Living Will contains fixed instructions that must be followed
• Cost and Setup: Living Wills typically cost less and require simpler setup than LPAs, which involve registration fees and more formal procedures