Will wording

[riverwed070707]

I'm working on our will. My company offers a free service where you create it using online documents and then an attorney will review it and provide suggestions for free.

The section that asks about organ donation give the option of whole body, some organs or none. If you select one of the first two, it asks who you'd like to donate it to... I don't want to donate to science or anything, just as a gift of life. Any idea how I specify this? I never thought about who the organization is that coordinates this.

[snafu]

UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing, Richmond, VA

[disneysteve]

Your will is pretty worthless as far as organ donation is concerned. By the time somebody finds and reads your will, it will be much too late. If you wish to be an organ donor, make sure it says so on your drivers license and make sure that everyone close to you knows your wishes - parents, spouse, children. When something happens to you and you are lying on a gurney in some hospital, they are going to ask your next of kin if they want to donate your organs so those are the people that need to know your feelings on the matter.

[Like2Plan]

Your will is pretty worthless as far as organ donation is concerned. By the time somebody finds and reads your will, it will be much too late. If you wish to be an organ donor, make sure it says so on your drivers license and make sure that everyone close to you knows your wishes - parents, spouse, children. When something happens to you and you are lying on a gurney in some hospital, they are going to ask your next of kin if they want to donate your organs so those are the people that need to know your feelings on the matter.

Wouldn't the organ donation part go into the living will and advance directives for medical decisions? I have a copy of mine at home. While it is not as easily accessible as a DL in an accident, it is something that DH could get his hands on fairly quickly. Anytime we go to the hospital for any kind of surgery--they always ask for us to bring the pertinent document.

[disneysteve]

Yes, a living will/advance directive is important too but that isn't usually available at the time the decision is being made. It still should be done, though.

[riverwed070707]

But for purposes of filling this out, I don't want to check no just becuase I don't know who the donation goes to. I should think it should still be properly outlined there whether or not it is the first document that would be referenced. I've been a donor for a long as I can remember, but not once has anyone ever asked me who I'm making the donation to.

[disneysteve]

not once has anyone ever asked me who I'm making the donation to.

Write in "whoever needs it most."

[riverwed070707]

lol. I currently have something to the effect of "anyone who needs it"