- Puts us in charge of how we live our lives.
- Effectively conveys our wishes should we become unable to speak for ourselves.
- Gives physicians sufficient information to know what we want.
- Can be readily applied to any medical condition and any new medical technology by focusing on desired outcomes, not treatment decisions.
- Saves us painful medical procedures we may not have wanted, or confirms our desire for aggressive treatment.
- Saves family and friends the burden of guessing our wants, hoping they guessed right. This allows them to get on with their lives, confident they have honored our wishes.
- Creates a system for assuring that knowledge of our wishes is continuously updated.
- Covers every possible decision that must be made at the end of life.
- Uses scientific method for measuring our feelings about many important decision areas.
- Uses both written documentation and eye witnesses, i.e. people we keep abreast of our thinking. When the time comes, they confer with one another, make sure they got it right, and confirm our wants.
- MLP is not a formal legal document but uses a standard of evidence long followed in courts of law: corroborating eye witnesses.
- Does not require making binding choices. Asks only about our degree of preference. When the time comes, decision makers can use this information to make well-informed decisions.
- Allows us to state exactly how we feel about different areas. Does not force us into yes/no responses, neither of which accurately reflects how we truly feel.