Clinic Documents and Why They Matter

Will

If you do not have a Will, your assets are distributed upon your death as determined by Washington law. This distribution often does not match what you may choose yourself. In addition, if you do not have a Will, the process of getting the assets where they need to go after your death will be more costly and time-consuming. In your Will, you direct how your assets will be distributed after your death and you identify an executor who makes that happen efficiently and cost-effectively.

Health Care Directive

There are times when you may need medical intervention (for example, feeding tubes or ventilators) to artificially prolong your life. This includes a terminal condition, or a permanent unconscious condition such as severe brain damage, from which you are not expected to recover. With a Health Care Directive you can state your wishes and values about receiving those interventions now, so that the people making those decisions know your wishes when you are unable to communicate them. Without this directive, your loved ones will be faced with very difficult decisions without this critical guidance from you. 

General Durable Power of Attorney

From time to time, you may need someone to assist you with healthcare and property decisions. With a Durable Power of Attorney, you can identify the people who you want to act on your behalf when needed. These people can make healthcare decisions for you and access your assets (for example, use your checking account to pay your bills). Washington law identifies default decision-makers for healthcare decisions (who among other things would put a Health Care Directive into effect if you signed one). These may be different people that you might choose for yourself. Washington law does not provide any default decision-makers for property decisions; if you need someone to make property decisions on your behalf and do not have this document, a time-consuming and expensive guardianship/conservatorship process would likely be necessary.