(OKEECHOBEE, Fla.) - Preparing for loss is one of life’s most challenging feats but guaranteeing that your wishes are respected is crucial. A young man in critical condition and his mother needed legal help preparing the proper legal documentation to ensure his medical wishes were met. That's when they reached out to Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS) for help. FRLS is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide.
Unable to leave the hospital due to his condition, the young man relied on FRLS to manage his legal matters. The FRLS attorney who took on his case, made regular visits to the hospital to ensure that everything was handled with the highest level of care, no matter the location of service.
Thanks to FRLS’s efforts, the young man successfully secured advance directives, including a Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) and a Living Will. Now, our client and his mother can have some relief knowing that his healthcare wishes would be honored even if he could no longer make decisions for himself.
How do these legal documents help our client?
Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
A legal document that allows you to name someone else to manage finances on your behalf in the event you become incapacitated. A DPOA helps your family pay your bills and protect your assets if you're unable to take care of them yourself. This saves your family the legal troubles of figuring out who will take on this responsibility once you're gone.
Living Will
A living will is a written legal document that gives instructions for your medical care in certain circumstances. This can outline your end of life medical decisions like life support, resuscitation, and treatment.
This was especially important to our client, who was in critical condition and was unsure if he was able to make coherent decisions about his medical care later down the line.
It's common for younger adults not to worry about setting up legal protections for their future until later in life. However, elder law isn't just for the elderly, you can start preparing for the unexpected with our elder law services at any point in your adult life. To see if you qualify, call FRLS at 1-888-528-4310 or apply online at FRLS.org/intake.
About Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS):
Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has pursued justice by providing legal services in
housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, tax advocacy, and more, all at no cost to our clients. FRLS collaborates with community organizations and Pro Bono attorneys to deliver quality advocacy, outreach, and education designed to protect the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.