Checklist of Common Mistakes in a Living Will
This Preventive Law Study was written by: John Goodson, Colleen Manley and Christine Goodson Forakis.
Summary
Written for estate planning attorneys, this guide is crucial to any properly executed living will. After decades of practice and experience, John Goodson designed these checklists in order to prevent the attorney mistakes that are far too frequently made when drafting documents. Mistakes can be costly to the drafting attorney who may have to redraft or amend a document at their own expense. The Checklist of Common Mistakes in a Living Will is part of a series of checklists created to aid the estate planning community.
Based on a presentation by John Goodson To the College of Estate Planning Attorneys
(Legend: “X” = needs correction or attention; “—“ = OK; “n/a” = not applicable; and “?” = have question here)
| Client Name: | Evaluator Name: | |
| Date of Review | Number of Errors: | Percent of Errors |
| ____ | 1. | Names of surrogates in Living Will do not have at least two backups. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 2. | No authority for withdrawal of fluids, food or substantives. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 3. | No authority to use pain killing drugs, even if they hasten death (implied euthanasia). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 4. | No designation of all conditions warranting implementation of Living Will:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 5. | No provision for Wallet Identification Cards identifying location of Living Will. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 6. | No provisions for notices to doctors and health care practitioners of Living Will existence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 7. | No instructions to doctors on how to implement Living Will. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 8. | No authority given to representatives to sue to enforce. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 9. | No “hold harmless” provisions for persons implementing Living Will. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 10. | No provision on how to handle autopsies. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 11. | No provisions for euthanasia if this process becomes legal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 12. | No letter to hospitals and doctors sent out after signing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 13. | Using specific, detailed list of treatments authorized. May leave a treatment out or become the treatment may become obsolete. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 14. | No provisions for religious assistance. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 15. | No provision for preservation and donation of body parts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 16. | No provisions for use of voice communications during periods of dying since hearing is last sense to go. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 17. | No provision requiring concurrence of at least two, preferably three, physicians. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 18. | No admonition that heirs and health care practitioners cannot witness the Living Will. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 19. | No provision making it unnecessary to prove the reason why the first named family representatives are unavailable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 20. | No letter warning clients that document may not be enforceable after five years. (This is a good way to stay in touch with clients.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 21. | No provision that this document supplements an already existing Medical Power of Attorney and Durable general Power of Attorney. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 22. | No provision the document is intended to be legal and effective in all states and around the world. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ____ | 23. | Not using large print so the client and older low-level bureaucrats may read with ease. |
For additional information, please call (602) 252-5110.
For additional Preventive Law Studies, visit our website: www.goodsonmanleyforakis.com