Medical Directives & Health Care Powers of Attorney in Reston, VA

Serving Northern VA, DC, and MD

Your estate plan should include a separate durable power of attorney to give medical directives concerning medical, therapeutic, or surgical procedures, including the administration of drugs. This document becomes extremely important if you become incapacitated and need your spouse to make effective, efficient health care decisions for you.

Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia law also permit you to make a written declaration known as a “living will,” which essentially is an expression of your decision to have provided, withheld or withdrawn certain medical procedures that could prolong life.

Each of these documents — the medical durable power of attorney and the living will — can be tailored to suit your individual needs. In some states like Florida, a separate living will and health care proxy are required, so our attorneys typically execute the medical directive (or health care power of attorney) and the living will as separate documents satisfying the requirements of as many states as possible.