Floridians Remember Terri Schiavo and the Living Will

All Jacksonville residents should remember Terri Schiavo, the St. Petersburg, Florida woman who made national news in 2005. Terri Schiavo had been in a coma for years and was diagnosed by doctors as being in a persistent vegetative state. The hotly debated issue between the husband and parents was whether Terri would want to be hooked up to life prolonging procedures.

The case centered on the fact that Terri did not have any Florida Advance Directives in place, in particular, no Living Will. Therefore, the debate centered on what her wishes would be. Seven years and numerous court cases later, (the Florida Legislature, the U.S. Congress and Supreme Court also became involved), a Florida Judge ordered the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube.

A Florida Living Will is a legal document which allows you to express Your Wishes as to the type of medical treatment and intervention that you do or do not want in the event that you suffer from a:

Terminal Condition;
Persistent Vegetative State; or an End-State Condition
Floridians, don’t let your family become embroiled in a quarrel as to what a loved one would want in the event that he/she does not have Advanced Directives in place.

Talk to an Estate Planning Attorney in Jacksonville who will discuss with you the importance of having a Living Will as well as a Designation of Health Care Surrogate prepared.