A living will is a declaration expressing an individual’s desire that certain death-prolonging procedures be either withheld or withdrawn. Missouri law requires a living will to be dated and signed before two persons if not entirely in the declarant’s handwriting.
Hannam Law strongly recommends that individuals consider executing before hospitalization or surgery.
Individuals wishing to provide broader instructions (which apply beyond death-prolonging procedures) should consider advance directives. These are documents which instruct that in the event the individual becomes incapacitated, certain treatments should be withheld or withdrawn, such as artificially supplied nutrition or machinery which would maintain them in a persistent vegetative state.
The preceding article is for information purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. For help with a guardianship or conservatorship, please consult a Missouri probate attorney such as Hannam Law.