NOTE: The below is general information. I am not an attorney. All legal and financial decision should be made after consulting with a legal or financial professional.

In Maine's legal terms, a living will falls into a category of documents called a advanced directive. An advance directive is a document that tells others what you would like to happen in certain circumstances, should you be unable to make your wishes met. A living will be comes active when you are no longer able to tell the hospital what you would like your care to be, for instance, if you have entered a vegetative state that is believed to be permanent.

There are many reasons why tit is important to have a living will. One reason to think about a living will is because of Maine's hierarchy regarding who hospitals should consult about your care in the event that you are not capable of making your own decisions. Typically this start with a spouse or someone with whom you have a spouse-like relationship, and then proceeds down to your adult children, your parents and your adult brothers and sisters.

You might be closer to some of these people than others, and you might be in a situation where you do not want one or more of these people making decisions abut your care. A living will can ensure that your agent, someone who is empowered to make health care decisions for you, will be able to carry out your wishes.

Making the decision to continue care or to stop it can be a traumatic one for your relatives. Without a living will, they will never know what your true wishes were and they may be plagued with doubt for years. They are already going through the pain of your incapacitation and making a decision like this one is extraordinarily stressful. Your family wants to carry out your wishes, so make sure that they have to the tools to do so.

One thing that is important to remember is that a living will form in Maine is not a Do Not Resuscitate order. If you have a heart attack in your home and paramedics arrive, they will try to keep you alive and take you to the hospital. Once you are there, and only if you are in an incapacitated state, will the living will come into play.

To make a living will, there are many living will forms that are available online. To make sure that it is counted as a legal document, make sure that you have signed and dated it, and that there are two people who have witnessed it. Though Maine law does not require it, it will also help to have the document notarized. Make sure that your family members and loved ones know that it exists and where it is kept.

A living will form in Maine might be one of the most important documents you ever fill out; fill out yours today and save your loved ones a severe amount of grief tomorrow.

To get your hands on this exact form right now, be sure to check it all out at the LegalForms360 section for Maine living will form.