Brooklyn Healthcare Proxy and Advance Directive Attorney

Make your medical wishes known and choose who will speak for you

New York law provides effective ways to ensure your healthcare preferences are honored when you cannot speak for yourself. A health care proxy lets you appoint a trusted decision‑maker to act on your behalf, while an advance directive allows you to document your preferences for end‑of‑life care. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in trusts and estates law, attorney Peter G. Gray in Brooklyn provides clear, personalized planning assistance to help our clients express their wishes and choose someone they trust for important responsibilities.

What is a healthcare proxy?

A healthcare proxy names a trusted adult as your agent for medical purposes. If you become unable to make your own medical decisions, your agent can speak with your doctors, review your medical records and make treatment decisions on your behalf. You can also name an alternate agent in case your first choice of agent cannot serve. You remain in charge of your affairs while you can make decisions for yourself. When your agent’s authority does begin, they must follow your known wishes and beliefs. Choose someone who will listen to you now and speak up for you later, even if other relatives disagree.

What does New York law require for creation of a proxy?

Any adult with decision-making capacity can create a New York healthcare proxy by signing and dating it in the presence of two adult witnesses. The witnesses must sign as well. You may also include limits on your agent’s authority, name an alternate agent and record your treatment preferences. Neither your agent nor your alternate agent can be a witness. 

Some wishes require particular care. Your agent must know your preferences concerning artificial nutrition and hydration before making those decisions for you. Discussing these preferences with your agent and putting them in writing can spare that person uncertainty during a crisis.

What is an advance directive?

An advance directive — such as a living will — puts into writing your preferences for treatment decisions to be made in the event you cannot communicate, such as if you fall into a persistent vegetative state. A directive can address whether you would want CPR, a ventilator, dialysis or artificial nutrition and hydration in specific medical situations.

Other advance directives have narrower purposes. A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR) is a medical direction concerning CPR. A medical order for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST) instructs treatment decisions to be made when a patient’s health circumstances call for them. 

When should an advance directive be part of your plan?

Advance medical directives are useful for people of any age. An accident, surgery or sudden illness can temporarily leave you unable to make treatment decisions, while a progressive condition may make planning increasingly urgent.

Clear instructions may also ease disagreements among loved ones. Our attorney’s experience with estate litigation informs his careful approach, which includes identifying areas of uncertainty before they create conflict. Once your documents are signed, you should give copies to your agent, doctor and others who may need them and keep your own copies within easy reach.

Can you update or revoke these documents?

You can complete a new healthcare proxy if you want to change your agent or instructions. You can revisit your advance directive when your health, relationships or wishes change. Tell your agent and your medical providers about the update, give them current copies and have them destroy the old ones.

Contact a Brooklyn advance directive and healthcare proxy attorney for assistance

At the Law Offices of Peter G. Gray, P.C., we can help you choose an agent, put your medical wishes into clear language and coordinate your advance directive with the rest of your estate plan. Call 929-367-4333 or contact us online to set up a free initial consultation.