Living Will Attorney

Ensure Your Healthcare Wishes Are Honored When It Matters Most

Planning for future medical care can be challenging, but ensuring your healthcare wishes are respected during critical times shouldn’t be.

At Marshiano Law Group, our experienced Chicago living will attorneys are dedicated to guiding you through the process of creating legally sound advance healthcare directives that protect your wishes and provide clear guidance to your loved ones during difficult times.

“Attorney Marshiano walked me through creating my living will with such compassion and clarity. After my mother’s difficult end-of-life experience without proper documents, I knew I needed to have my wishes clearly stated. Tony made what could have been an uncomfortable process straightforward and reassuring.”

Susan M., Chicago

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Why Choose Marshiano Law Group for Your Living Will?

Our Chicago-based estate planning lawyers provide personalized and compassionate legal counsel, ensuring your advance healthcare directives accurately reflect your intentions. We believe in:

Understanding Your Healthcare Values: We take the time to listen and understand your specific wishes regarding medical care, life-sustaining treatments, and end-of-life decisions.

Creating Legally Sound Documents: Our attorneys meticulously draft living wills and other advance directives tailored to your specific needs, ensuring your wishes are legally binding and clear.

Providing Peace of Mind: We help you navigate these sensitive decisions with compassion and clarity, giving both you and your loved ones confidence that your wishes will be honored.

Coordinating Complete Healthcare Planning: Our team ensures your living will works seamlessly with your healthcare power of attorney and other medical directives.

Have your healthcare wishes known and followed when it matters most.

Our Comprehensive Advance Healthcare Directive Services

Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive

A living will is a legal document that outlines your wishes for medical treatment if you become unable to communicate those wishes yourself. Our Chicago living will attorneys create directives that:

  • Clearly state your preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments
  • Address specific medical interventions like mechanical ventilation, tube feeding, and CPR
  • Include your wishes regarding pain management and comfort care
  • Provide guidance on organ and tissue donation
  • Create clear instructions that reduce the burden on your loved ones during difficult times

Healthcare Power of Attorney

While a living will outlines your treatment preferences, a healthcare power of attorney designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so. Our attorneys will help you:

  • Select an appropriate healthcare agent who understands and will honor your wishes
  • Define the scope of authority for your healthcare agent
  • Create backup provisions if your first choice is unavailable
  • Ensure your agent has clear guidance for making decisions consistent with your values

HIPAA Authorization

Medical privacy laws can prevent healthcare providers from sharing your medical information—even with close family members—unless you have proper authorization in place. Our comprehensive planning includes:

  • Creating HIPAA authorizations that allow designated individuals to access your medical information
  • Ensuring your healthcare agents have the information they need to make informed decisions
  • Preventing unnecessary delays in care due to privacy restrictions

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

For individuals with serious health conditions, we can assist with completing POLST forms that:

  • Translate your healthcare wishes into specific medical orders
  • Are recognized by emergency medical personnel and healthcare facilities
  • Provide immediate guidance in emergency situations
  • Complement your other advance directives

Why Living Wills Matter for Everyone

Many people believe living wills are only for the elderly or those with serious health conditions, but the truth is they’re essential for adults of all ages:

Unexpected Medical Emergencies: Accidents or sudden illness can happen at any age, potentially leaving you unable to communicate your healthcare wishes.

Reducing Family Burden: Clear advance directives prevent your loved ones from having to guess what you would want during already stressful situations.

Preventing Unwanted Interventions: Without a living will, you might receive medical treatments you would not have chosen for yourself.

Avoiding Family Conflicts: When wishes aren’t documented, family members may disagree about appropriate care, creating additional stress and potential conflict.

Maintaining Control: A living will ensures your values and preferences guide your medical care, even when you cannot speak for yourself.

The Living Will Process with Marshiano Law Group

Creating your advance healthcare directives with our Chicago living will attorneys is straightforward and thorough:

1. Initial Consultation

We begin with a comprehensive consultation to understand your healthcare values, preferences, and concerns. This allows us to recommend the most appropriate advance directive documents for your specific needs.

2. Education and Guidance

We provide clear information about various medical interventions and scenarios to help you make informed decisions about your future care preferences.

3. Document Creation

Our experienced attorneys draft your customized advance healthcare directives, including your living will, healthcare power of attorney, and HIPAA authorizations.

4. Document Review

We carefully review all documents with you, explaining each provision in clear, understandable language and making any necessary adjustments to ensure your plan perfectly matches your wishes.

5. Document Execution

We guide you through the proper signing and witnessing of all documents according to Illinois law, ensuring everything is legally valid and enforceable.

6. Distribution Guidance

We provide advice on sharing your completed documents with your healthcare agents, physicians, and family members to ensure they’re available when needed.

7. Ongoing Support

We remain available to answer questions and update your documents as your health situation or preferences change over time.

Client Testimonials

“After witnessing friends struggle with making medical decisions for their parents without proper directives, I knew I needed to get my own affairs in order. Tony made the process of creating my living will and healthcare power of attorney straightforward and even reassuring. His compassionate approach to these difficult topics made all the difference.”

Robert J., Chicago Heights

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“Attorney Marshiano took the time to explain different medical scenarios and helped me think through my preferences carefully. The living will he created for me addressed specific concerns I had about particular treatments. I now have peace of mind knowing my family won’t have to guess what I would want.”

Patricia L., Lincoln Park

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Why Choose Marshiano Law Group for Your Living Will and Advance Directives?

Compassionate & Experienced

With over 25 years of experience in estate planning, Attorney Tony Marshiano brings exceptional professionalism to advance healthcare planning. His compassionate approach makes discussing difficult topics comfortable and productive.

Comprehensive Planning

We don’t just create isolated documents—we ensure your living will works in harmony with your entire estate plan, creating a cohesive approach to protecting your wishes.

Clear Communication

We explain complex medical and legal concepts in plain language, ensuring you fully understand your options and the documents you’re creating.

Personalized Approach

We recognize that medical preferences are highly personal. Your advance directives will be tailored specifically to your unique values and wishes.

Ongoing Relationship

Life and preferences change. We maintain relationships with our clients to ensure their advance directives remain current and reflective of their wishes.

Don’t leave your healthcare decisions to chance. Schedule a consultation with our experienced living will attorney in Chicago, IL. We’re here to help you create legally sound documents that protect your wishes and provide peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Wills in Illinois

Want answers to your specific healthcare planning questions?

Whether you need a basic living will or comprehensive advance healthcare planning, Marshiano Law Group is here to help. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward protecting your healthcare wishes.

Yes, Illinois recognizes living wills as legally binding documents under the Illinois Living Will Act. When properly executed according to state law, healthcare providers are required to honor your stated preferences or transfer your care to a provider who will.

Most estate plans can be completed within 2-3 weeks from your initial consultation. Complex plans may take slightly longer. We work efficiently while ensuring all documents are meticulously prepared and tailored to your specific needs.

Absolutely. Your living will can be revised at any time as long as you remain mentally capable of making such decisions. We recommend reviewing your advance directives every few years or after significant health changes to ensure they continue to reflect your current wishes.

Yes, these documents serve complementary purposes. A living will outlines your specific treatment preferences, while a healthcare power of attorney designates someone to make decisions in situations not specifically covered by your living will. Together, they provide comprehensive protection for your healthcare wishes.

Illinois healthcare providers are legally required to honor valid living wills or transfer care to a provider who will. Having a properly drafted, clearly stated document significantly increases the likelihood that your wishes will be followed. We also recommend discussing your living will with your primary care physician and providing copies to all your healthcare providers.

Your living will only takes effect when:

  1. You are unable to make or communicate your healthcare decisions, AND
  2. You have a qualifying condition as defined in your document (typically a terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness)

Until both conditions are met, you continue to make your own healthcare decisions.

Contact Us

Whether you need a basic living will or comprehensive advance healthcare planning, Marshiano Law Group is here to help. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward protecting your healthcare wishes.

We are more than just attorneys; we’re your compassionate partners in creating healthcare directives that ensure your wishes are honored when it matters most.

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