As you create an estate plan, you should turn a good portion of your attention to planning for the end of your life. This is difficult to do, but once you have everything in order, you’ll feel better about anything the future could throw at you.

A living will is a detailed statement that provides health care professionals with information on the type of life-prolonging treatment you want to receive if faced with a life-threatening illness or injury. This only comes into play if you’re unable to communicate your treatment preference to your doctor.

The nice thing about a living will is that you have the ability to make important health care decisions when you’re in sound mind.

Is it right for you?

While there’s no legal requirement to add a living will to your estate plan, there are benefits of doing so.

Most importantly, you’re able to receive the treatment you want in the event of a life-threatening injury or illness. Also, you can take the emotional burden off of your loved ones, as they won’t have to make important end of life medical decisions on their own.

If you’ve yet to create a living will, learn more about the pros and cons and how they relate to both your current situation and what you want to happen in the future.

If you already have a living will in place, review it regularly to ensure that it always meets your requirements.

Adding a living will to your estate plan is one of the better ways to plan for your end of life. As long as you know what you want to include in your living will, everything will come together as expected.