Florida Trust & Probate Attorneys Blog
By: Jacqueline R. Bowden, Miramar Estate Planning Attorney
As of October 1, 2015, Florida’s Healthcare Designation laws, provided under Chapter 765 of Florida Statutes, have changed providing more flexibility for the person appointing the surrogate, formerly known as the “principal.”
Three Options. Currently, for a healthcare surrogate to make medical decisions, the attending physician must evaluate the principal’s capacity. If the physician finds the principal lacks capacity to make medical decisions, then the surrogate is permitted to review medical records and make medical decisions. Under new legislation the principal now has three options to choose from: