Wills: An Ethical Responsibility

This article is written to focus on the need for the client and counselor to have a will that focuses on who has access to the client’s counseling records. Specifically, the focus is on the importance for the client to indicate who has access to his or her records following his or her death or incapacitation. In addition, this article focuses on who has access to the counselor’s records if the counselor should die or be incapacitated. The authors believe that it is the ethical responsibility of the counselor to discuss wills. Case examples are provided and recommendations are made.