Lately I have had the misfortune to make too many Shiva calls and attend too many wakes. Recently a friend told me what a comfort it was and how much easier it had been on the whole family because her mother had a Living Will. She said it was such a relief not to have to make the decisions whether to give her mother resuscitation and feeding because her mother had made those decisions for herself in her Living Will. They had the confidence and security of knowing for certain that the medical decisions were what their mother had wanted because she had a properly drawn Living Will stating her wishes. It is hard to describe what a relief this was to the family, but it clearly made a huge difference to them in accepting their mother's death.

In this holiday season of giving, I hope that you have your Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney and Last Will and Testament properly done so that you too leave your families similar peace of mind.

We wish all of you a joyous holiday and a healthy and happy New Year.

For more information on Living Wills, Powers of Attorney and estate planning please contact the Law Offices of Jonathan Bressman LLC, 973-660-1919 email at jbressman@estatelawnj.com or visit his website at estatelawnj.com.