When is the Best Time to Prepare a Living Will?

Don’t put it off – Prepare a living will.

When I speak to groups about how strongly I feel about living wills, I’m often asked, “when’s the best time to prepare a living will.”  The short answer is now. As with so many things in life, the time is now. Some people treat the preparation of a living will as if it were the dreaded term paper from their school days. Others, amazingly, don’t prepare a living will because of some superstition or feel that “I won’t ever need one of those.” These are the same people that neglect to protect their family with life insurance.

Don’t wait until you are hospitalized to prepare a living will

I mentioned in a previous post that my wife is a RN in the critical care unit of one of the hospitals in our town. After patients are admitted and before they are barely settled in a hospital room, they are asked if they would like to prepare a living will. Not surprisingly, about 80%  of them do not have a living will.

Now, put your self in the patient’s position. You’re in the hospital. You’re in a hospital room for a reason and its probably a good one given what they do today on a outpatient basis. You may be in pain. You may be on some meds, you may be scared and you are definitely stressed. What do you think? Is this the best time to prepare a living will? Unfortunately, by default it may now be the right time, but its not the best time.

Let’s review

There is no time like the present to prepare a living will. There are plenty of websites where you can get a free printable living will. An attorney is not required. In most States, you only need to have your living will witnessed, even a notary is often not a requirement. When you take the time to think about what treatment or procedures that you want to have done or not have done, you are light years ahead than having to make these decisions when you are hospitalized. So, the question is; when is the best time to prepare a living will? Do it now. Its one less thing to worry about and you can Retire as Planned.