Satel Law Volunteers with Frontline Heroes Project operated by the Volunteer Lawyers Program of Bay Area Legal Services

Satel Law associate, Gaetano D’Anna, worked pro bono for the Frontline Heroes Project operated by the Volunteer Lawyers Program of Bay Area Legal Services. 

The Frontline Heroes Project is a FREE program that assists frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic in preparing advance healthcare directives.

This program is available to all “essential workers” (health care, mental health, education, transportation, government, food, grocery, department store, utility, etc.). Essential workers interested in participating will get a virtual appointment to meet with a volunteer attorney to complete their advance directive forms. Essential workers will also get an additional resource guide. The guide lists volunteer attorneys willing to complete additional estate planning documents for no cost or low cost.

Advance Healthcare Directives

Advance healthcare directives are forms that detail your healthcare and treatment choices should you become unable to talk to your doctors or make your own healthcare decisions due to being sick or hurt. While there are other types of healthcare planning forms, the two main types of advance directives are a living will and a designation of healthcare surrogate. This project assists with the preparation of these two forms.

Living Will

A living will lets you choose the kind of health care you do and do not want if you have:

• A terminal or end-stage condition, and there is little or no chance of meaningful recovery
• A condition of permanent and irreversible unconsciousness, such as a coma or vegetative state
• An irreversible and severe mental or physical illness that prevents you from communicating with others, recognizing family and friends, or caring for yourself in any way

A living will only goes into effect if you are no longer able to make decisions or communicate your wishes yourself and are in one of the three conditions listed above.

Designation of Healthcare Surrogate

A designation of health care surrogate lets you choose another person to make medical decisions based on your wishes for medical treatment if you cannot make your own decisions or choose not to make them for yourself.

It allows you to choose a health care decision-maker who will be able to honor your wishes. You should select one person and designate an additional person as an “alternate” if the first person you designate is unavailable for any reason.