Living Wills

[sal2]

I am an attorney and I regularly draft living wills for my clients. After the Terry Schiavo debacle, I have become far more aware of the immorality of denying someone basic treatment like the artificial delivery of food and water. It is my understanding that the Church teaches that even wanting to be removed from artificial food and water is tantamount to a suicide wish, and that wishing for one’s own death is a sin.

So, if someone comes to me asking for my help in implementing a living will that mandates the removal of the artficial delivery of food and water, am I morally obligated to refrain from helping? It seems to me assisting with the document would be cooperating in the sin. Any help - please with citations to sources of authority, since I may need to turn away potential business - would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Eileen_T]

Here is an article on living wills/advance directives life.org.nz/euthanasialegalkeyissueslivingwills.htm
also this page has links life.org.nz/euthanasialegalkeyissues.htm

It doesn’t have the references you are looking for but this may be of some use. Symptoms of dehydration life.org.nz/euthanasiaabouteuthanasiamethods1.htm

If that doesn’t put people off I don’t know what will.

 

[Aesq]

sal2:

I am an attorney and I regularly draft living wills for my clients. After the Terry Schiavo debacle, I have become far more aware of the immorality of denying someone basic treatment like the artificial delivery of food and water. It is my understanding that the Church teaches that even wanting to be removed from artificial food and water is tantamount to a suicide wish, and that wishing for one’s own death is a sin.

So, if someone comes to me asking for my help in implementing a living will that mandates the removal of the artficial delivery of food and water, am I morally obligated to refrain from helping? It seems to me assisting with the document would be cooperating in the sin. Any help - please with citations to sources of authority, since I may need to turn away potential business - would be greatly appreciated.

I am a lawyer also. Although I am no longer in private practice. This can be quite difficult I know. I think you really need to talk to a priest. However, if you wish to send me a private message I will be happy to discuss this with you at length even on the phone on my long distance bill if you wish. I really know what it is like to feel as if you need to turn down business. I had my own practice for several years.

 

[volzcpa]

sal2:

I am an attorney and I regularly draft living wills for my clients. After the Terry Schiavo debacle, I have become far more aware of the immorality of denying someone basic treatment like the artificial delivery of food and water. It is my understanding that the Church teaches that even wanting to be removed from artificial food and water is tantamount to a suicide wish, and that wishing for one’s own death is a sin.

So, if someone comes to me asking for my help in implementing a living will that mandates the removal of the artficial delivery of food and water, am I morally obligated to refrain from helping? It seems to me assisting with the document would be cooperating in the sin. Any help - please with citations to sources of authority, since I may need to turn away potential business - would be greatly appreciated.

I think you should tell your clients that you think living wills are not the way to go because 1) a living will cannot address all possible medical situations and their related nuances, 2) a living will is most often interpreted, not by an attorney, but by a doctor whose interpretation may be inaccurate or swayed by his/her own beliefs or even by the seminar that he/she went to last week. (You may want to share actual stories of this happening.) In other words, a living will could have just the opposite effect from what the client intends.

You could tell your clients that a well written Health Care POA by itself would offer a better capability of having your client’s wishes carried out. By giving a trusted family member(s) or friend(s) the ability to carry out your client’s wishes, the POA(s), in a complex or extraordinary situation, would be able to seek out professional consultation that would be relevant to the particular situation and medical technology of the time.

Good luck with this, I will pray for you.