Can you use your living will in another state or country

Ted: Thank you very much, sir. Good morning, my friends. Listen, I've got a question about a living will. I travel internationally a lot around the world. I'm usually traveling 25 or 21 days out of the month. Is my living will-- will it be honored in any country that I'm in besides the United States? Will the people that I've named make the decisions about my life? Will they be able to do it just by telephone or what would you recommend here?

Attorney Tom Olsen: First of all, if you were in that situation, somebody would want to get your living will and email it or fax it or mail it to whatever hospital or medical facility you happen to be in. Ted, we have a living will in Florida because of Florida statutes say we can have a living will. Does every state of the United States have a living will statute? I don't know, probably. Do other countries throughout the world have living will laws? I don't know, probably. Ted, it's still worthwhile to have a living will done here in the state of Florida. I'm sure it's probably going to work for you no matter what state you're in, no matter what country you're in.

By the way, Ted, when we talk about a living will in Florida, traditionally think in terms of disconnecting somebody from a machine. Florida can now also go farther and ask that you not be given food and water through a tube. It's worthwhile to do this document. I think more than likely it's going to work for you wherever you go. Ted, when people do living wills at our office, we also give them further information about a DNR, Do Not Resuscitate. If you want to go to the next level and have a DNR, Ted, that would be signed by your doctor.

Ted: All right, my friends, thank you very much, Tom. I listened to you for years and I appreciate you.

Tom: Thank you, Ted.

Chris Merrill: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Tom: Thank you for being a loyal listener to the Olsen On Law Radio Show. We appreciate it very much. Hey folks, again, this is Tom Olsen. The name of the show is Olsen On Law.

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