Do I need a living will?

A living will is a notarized document in which you record who may make decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to do so yourself. This can happen, for example, when you are no longer able to make decisions independently due to illness or an accident.

Who is a living will for?

A living will is relevant to everyone. You can prevent a judge from having to appoint someone if you can no longer act on your own. A living will allows you to decide who represents you. This can be a partner or your children, but also another family member or close friend, if you are single and have no children. A living will can also be important for people with a business. You can stipulate who can continue the business if you are no longer able to do so.

Advantages

A living will offers several advantages. First, it prevents ambiguity about who may act on your behalf in the event of incapacity. In addition, a living will allows you to determine who may act on your behalf and under what circumstances this should occur. For example, you can specify that only your partner or children may make certain decisions, or a trusted person who is not family.

Another advantage of a living will is that it reduces the chance of conflicts between next of kin. If you have clearly defined who is allowed to act on your behalf, next of kin cannot get into a fight about it because everything has already been arranged.

What do you need for a living will?

It is important to think about who may act on your behalf and what decisions should be made. It is also important to think about what should happen with, for example, your home, bank account and pension when you are no longer able to make decisions yourself. In addition, it is good to think about who may make medical decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so yourself. This is especially important when you do not want to undergo certain medical treatments.