Austin Probate Lawyer

The state Supreme Court of New York should decide the fate of 97-year-old Dorothy Livadas sometime this month.  Livadas was taken to the hospital in November suffering from dehydration and urinary tract infection.  However, now that she is on life support with no signs of brain activity, battles rage between the hospital and her daughter, Ianthe, over what is to be done.

Typically, disputes between individuals and hospitals arise when a person has left no instructions detailing what to do in the case of life or death medical emergencies.  However, in the case of Dorothy Livadas, she provided almost too much information—she listed her daughter as her medical proxy, while she also wrote a living will stating that she wanted to be taken off life support in case of an “irreversible mental or physical condition with no reasonable expectation of recovery or of regaining a meaningful quality of life.”  Battles rage as Livadas’ daughter insists that her mother is “not done”.

A judge has ordered the hospital not to take Livadas off life support until at least Friday, but a decision from the state Supreme Court could soon end this nearly 5-month long dispute.

For more information on living wills, contact Austin Probate Lawyers Slater & Kennon, LLP at 512-472-2431 today.