Wills

Living wills

Living wills are also known as an Advance Decision to refuse Treatment and it allows you to express your wishes to refuse medical treatment in the future if you lose the required mental capacity to make those decision for yourself.

If your advanced decision complies with The Mental Capacity Act 2005, is valid and applies to the situation, it will take precedence over decisions made in your best interest by other people. It will only be considered valid if: you are over 18 years old and had the mental capacity to make understand and communicate your wishes when the living will was made, you specify clearly which treatments you wish to refuse and explain the circumstances why you wish to refuse them, you have not stated or done anything that would contradict the advanced decisions, it is signed by you (and a witness if it revolves around life saving treatment), etc.

Making a Will

A Will ensures what happens to your estate after your death, it aids you to choose who will be responsible for dealing with your assets.

The main things that should be included in your will are: who should take care and be legally responsible for any of your children who are under 18 years old, who you would like to receive all your money and assets and how they will be divided, who you want to be in charge of handling your estate and many more.

If you choose not to make a will no one will have any control with what happens after you pass and the law will divide your estate and the rules the law follows may not be what you would like to happen to your estate.