FAQs - Advance Health Directives

An Advance Health Directive (“AHD”) is a formal method of providing instructions regarding your future health care. It will allow you to plan your future should you become incapable of making decisions for yourself.

You can be as general or as specific as you need. For example, you could specify that you would want to receive all available treatment, or you can be specific as outlining your views on the quality of life that you would like to maintain. You may decide that you would like certain life-sustaining measures withheld in certain situations.

Not everyone requires an AHD. It is however important to give consideration to the types of wishes you may have with regards to your health care. We can advise you on whether an AHD is right for you.

Anyone who is over 18 years of age may make an AHD. You must also have capacity, a legal test that determines whether you have a certain level of mental competency.

If an AHD is necessary for you, we will explain and prepare your AHD. You will then need to schedule an appointment with your doctor so that he may explain the terminology of the document and ensure that you have capacity. Once your doctor has completed the relevant part of the document, you will bring it to our final appointment where we will sign and witness the AHD, along with your other Estate Planning documents, if relevant.

We will keep your original AHD in our safe custody, with your other Estate Planning documents. We do this so that your documents are all in the same place and are easy to locate if needed. If you require a certified copy of any of your documents, we will quickly and easily provide them to you.