Articles by Atty Hooker

Life is simple at birth. You have very basic needs, however, your needs beyond food, clothing and shelter become more complex as you age: love, career, hobbies, purpose. At each phase/stage of life your needs evolve.

Medical technology, medications and improved nutrition along with other factors, have raised the life expectancy of Americans. People are living longer, and will live even longer as we move into the future.

Massachusetts law allows a competent person (the "principal") to designate a surrogate medical decision-maker (the "proxy") in the event he or she later becomes incapable of making health care decisions.

Anyone who keeps abreast of the news can see that our federal government spends far more money than it earns in taxes and other sources. Many states have similar problems, including the inability to continue to pay for government employee pensions and health care benefits, for example, in Wisconsin.