Wills

Creating a will allows you - and not the state courts - to make the decision as to how your assets should be distributed after your death. Should you become incapacitated and unable to make health care decisions on your own, creating a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care decisions allows you to indicate when to halt resuscitation efforts, when to remove feeding tubes, and who you want to make health care decisions on your behalf.

Determining what works best for you

There are a number of financial, medical and legal issues that must be considered when creating a will. With over 90 years of combined experience, the attorneys at Barnett Law Firm, Chtd. can create wills for our clients. We can evaluate your current financial situation and long-term goals as we help your estate avoid certain tax and legal complications during probate. We can also discuss what health care issues you should consider, and what terms you should include in a living will.

Our skilled attorneys advise and represent clients in regard to:

• Simple Wills
• Living Wills
• Wills
• Durable powers of attorney for health care
• Health Care Directives
• Health Care Proxies
• Deeds transfer or Death of Beneficiary

Special Considerations - Living Wills and Power of Attorney

Medical and scientific advancements in life support technology make it possible for people to be on life support alive for months and years who would have otherwise passed away. Technological developments in life support methods have outstripped the ability of legislators to indicate when it is appropriate to withhold or withdraw life support. As a result, cases like Terry Schiavo and Karen Ann Quinlan raise legal issues that cannot be settled simply by an appeal to established law or precedent.

Creating a living will, or health care power of attorney allows you to specify what types of "end of life" decisions should be made, including when to halt resuscitation and when to withdraw life support. While these concerns bear directly on people who suffer catastrophic injuries, they also come into play should you suffer from a progressive illness such as Alzheimer's Disease or cancer. Providing a health care directive ensures that your loved ones won't be burdened with uncertainty or legal complications should you become mentally incapacitated and unable to make health care decisions for yourself.

Let our experience work for you!

Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience necessary to help you make the best decisions regarding your estate. We understand the sensitive nature of these decisions, and will make sure that you have all of the information available to you in order to help ensure that your decisions are sound, and will hold up in a court of law if challenged after your passing. If you are concerned about the health care decisions that will be made on your behalf in the event you are unable to make those decisions, our attorneys can help you prepare the documents necessary to help ensure that your wishes are carried out.

If you are considering a will, or if you have concerns about who will make your health care decisions in the event you are unable to, contact us today to schedule an appointment with a skilled Kansas City probate attorney.