Living wills, if missed in your planning, can leave you and your estate in a position that may not be in your best interest or in the interests of those that depend on you. With a Living Will, you specify in advance what types of medical care you would consider acceptable and unacceptable if you should become unable to express your wishes. With a Durable Power of Attorney For Health Care, you appoint someone to make the health care decisions should you become unable to make them. 

   Note Living Wills above, as this is really the same. Living wills, if missed in your planning, can leave you and your estate in a position that may not be in your best interest or in the interests of those who depend on you.

   This is the new safety net of the Durable General Power of Attorney. 

   This power of attorney allows an individual to appoint someone to attend to his or her financial and business affairs in the event they are not competent to do so. The power is effective immediately and can provide the estate protection that may be necessary.

   Durable General Power of Attorney For Health Care, if missed in your planning, can leave you and your estate in a position that may not be in your best interest or in the interests of those who depend on you. It requires you to appoint someone to make health care decisions for you should you become unable to make them.  This differs from the Living Will, where you specify in advance what types of medical care you consider acceptable or not, if you become unable to express your wishes.