Living will

A living will already speaks for itself: this document is not intended for when you die, but for a period of time during your life. For example, if you get a serious illness or dementia. In these types of situations, it’s important for a lot of people to stay in control of their lives. A living will makes sure that you can do just that.

How does a living will work?

A living will is a document which states which people are going to take care of certain things for you, if you can no longer do them yourself. It’s good to know that there are all kinds of reasons to have a living will drawn up. It doesn’t have to be due to sickness. Maybe you’re going to travel the world for a longer period of time. In that case it can also be helpful to have a living will drawn up.

What are things that someone else can take care of on your behalf? Here are a few examples:

• Managing your bank account
• Selling your house
• Taking care of a fiscal gift, if useful
• Doing groceries
• Making medical decisions
• Documenting your euthanasia request

The last two examples are quite drastic but can also help to unburden your loved ones. With a living will, it’s clear to them who has the authority to make decisions and they also know without a doubt what you would want in situations like these. If you don’t document these types of things, your loved ones need to go to court to apply for a guardianship.
It’s possible to assign different people for different tasks. For example, someone for medical affairs and someone else for administrative tasks.

How does NKVDL do this?

Drawing up a living will is very easy and the process consists of three steps:

1. Intake

The intake can take place virtually or by phone, or at our office. During this first meeting we can discuss all your needs and concerns.

2. Our proposal

After the intake the notary will put everything you discussed in a document. The result is our proposal for the living will. We will send this document to you, and you can take all the time you need to have a look at it. The second appointment will take place a few weeks later.

3. Signature

During the second appointment you will once again have the opportunity to read the entire document. Do you agree with it? You can then sign the document, after which it’ll immediately be legally valid. We will send it digitally or provide a printed copy you can take with you. We will make sure it’ll be added to the national registers.

Contact your general practitioner

We advise you to discuss the medical section contents of your living will with your general practitioner. NKVDL adds your document to the national registers, but this doesn’t mean it’ll be a part of your medical record immediately. That’s why it’s important to inform your general practitioner of your wishes. Also make sure to tell who your confidant is, should anything happen.