Probate Attorneys Center

If swirling rumors of Death Panels have you thinking about your own end-of-life plans—or the lack of them—give your loved ones the greatest gift of all: peace of mind that your end-of-life wishes are known and will be respected.

Few Americans have prepared advance directives for end-of-life care because they don't realize how inexpensive and simple it is to document their wishes and preserve family harmony. Last Things First tells the medical and legal story of advance directives, why it is important to document wishes for end-of-life care and how easy it is to create this simple, yet vital, record of your values and wishes for care.

Winner, USA Book News Best Books 2007 Awards (Health: Medical Reference) and Finalist, USA Book News Best Books 2007 Awards (Health: Aging/50+). Foreward Magazine 2007 Book-of-the-Year-Award Finalist (Family & Relationships and Reference).

About the author: Attorney Jo Kline Cebuhar brings over 24 years of legal expertise, her personal experiences with end-of-life issues and a common sense narrative style to this timely subject. This book and its user-friendly approach are fundamental to understanding the complex legal and medical implications of death in America today.

From Writer’s Digest: The author’s command of her subject matter—from its historical contexts to current events and policy debates—is impressive. Just as importantly, she communicates this conceptual understanding of the subject in a clear and coherent manner. The analysis is sophisticated and multi-faceted, yet her writing style is conversational and instructive. All of this fosters a sense of confidence in the reader that the author’s material is to be trusted.

From the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care: The information in this book—basically the why and the how—is universally applicable. The book is clearly written and easily understandable to the layperson. I like her style of saying something in a jocular vein, as one might hear in a conversation with a friend, and then warning you to take the point seriously.