Q: Does signing a new Health Care Proxy revoke my current Health Care Proxy?

A: Yes. A Health Care Proxy is a document that appoints a person to make health care decisions on your behalf when you cannot (your “Health Care Agent”). Sometimes when you visit your physician’s office or the hospital for a procedure or emergency, you will be asked to fill out and sign a new Health Care Proxy that is a standard, basic form. If you have already completed a Health Care Proxy as part of your estate plan, you should not sign the new Health Care Proxy. Doing so revokes and replaces your estate plan Health Care Proxy, which has expanded beneficial powers to ensure your Health Care Agent has the authority to take the necessary steps to assist you without court involvement.

Instead, when you receive a copy of your Health Care Proxy from us, you should provide a copy to your physician’s office immediately so that it is included in your medical records.

Additionally, we recommend saving the Health Care Proxy electronically so that you may access and provide it via your Smartphone in an emergency. Electronic and physical copies of your Health Care Proxy should be provided to your Health Care Agents for the same reason, too.

An experienced estate planning attorney can assist with completing a Health Care Proxy if you or a family member over age 18 have not completed one yet, or it is time to update your Health Care Proxy because you wish to have other Health Care Agents designated or it is several years old.