A living will lets you document the type of medical care you want when you can’t communicate your wishes. Think of it as a roadmap for loved ones and healthcare providers, helping prevent second-guessing, family stress, and unwanted treatment.
At Puff Law, our estate attorneys provide experienced, comprehensive service to residents of Gloucester County, NJ. We can draft your living will, explain New Jersey’s requirements, and help you align the terms with your medical preferences. Likewise, they can intervene quickly when families disagree, when your medical condition changes, or when a hospital requires clearer direction.
Types of Cases We Handle
Since 1978, our Gloucester County, NJ, living wills lawyers at Puff Sierzega & MacFeeters Law Offices have handled the legal side of end-of-life planning so that your wishes remain enforceable under New Jersey’s Advance Directives for Health Care Act. We typically work on cases that entail:
- Drafting a living will (also called an “instruction directive”)
- Preparing a health care proxy (“proxy directive”) that names your decision-maker
- Updating existing directives after you experience significant life changes
- Resolving family disputes when relatives disagree about care
- Coordinating with your medical team to ensure your directive is recognized
- Guiding you through specific choices such as life support, tube feeding, dialysis, and pain relief preferences.
These cases often intersect with guardianships, estate planning, and long-term care decisions. We also assist clients who need emergency updates due to sudden illness or upcoming surgery.
What Should My Living Will in Gloucester County, NJ, Include?
You have ample control over the type of care you accept or decline. A living will typically address:
- Life-prolonging treatment, such as ventilation, CPR, feeding tubes, and hydration
- Palliative care, for instance, whether to opt for aggressive pain management, even if it shortens your life
- Organ and tissue donation wishes
- Religious or cultural values you want honored in medical settings
In Gloucester County, Cooper University Hospital, Jefferson Health, and Inspira Health frequently see families struggling with unclear directives. Physicians usually rely on default state laws when no written instructions exist, which will surely differ from your preferences.
How Our Living Wills Attorneys in Gloucester County, NJ, Can Serve You
At Puff Sierzega & MacFeeters Law Offices, our living wills lawyers in Gloucester County, NJ, can ensure your medical wishes will be honored by:
- Choosing a proxy who understands your values.
- Writing medical directions that doctors can follow without ambiguity.
- Ensuring the directive meets signature and witnessing requirements.
- Reviewing whether you qualify for POLST (Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment), which some people with advanced illness may need.
- Coordinating the directive with estate plans, guardianship documents, or powers of attorney.
Unfortunately, many people download generic forms online, but those templates rarely explain NJ-specific rules or how to address gray areas like fluctuating capacity or disputed religious accommodations. When this happens, errors in wording, missing signatures, or unclear instructions can lead hospitals to defer to next-of-kin interpretations rather than your written wishes. That’s why personalized drafting matters.
Connect With Our Living Wills Lawyer in Gloucester County, NJ
If you want to create or update a living will, you deserve guidance rooted in NJ law and your personal values. Our Gloucester County, NJ, living wills attorneys can turn your decisions into clear, enforceable language. Dial 856-845-0011 or reach Puff Sierzega & MacFeeters Law Offices online to arrange your confidential case review.
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