Free Advance Directive Forms

An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document used to set a medical treatment plan in certain circumstances. 

Other names for an Advance Directive include: 

• Advance Care Directive

• Advance Medical Directive

• Health Care Directive

• Advance Decision Form

An Advance Directive also outlines the treatment preferences and assigns an agent to make decisions if you become unable to. You assign this agent when you are creating your document. 

What is the purpose of an Advance Directive?

The purpose is to give the person who signs it (the principal) the authority to choose medical treatments he or she would like to receive. 

This comes into effect only when the principal becomes unable to communicate, such as in an end-of-life situation.

An Advance Health Care Directive is a combination of legal documents. In the past, it was common for someone to have a Living Will, a Medical POA, or one of each. 

These are the different parts that should be included within the Advance Directive: 

• Living Will: This notifies your family and medical personnel of your preference of treatment or operations you would accept or refuse if you are unable to communicate. 

• Medical Power of Attorney: It assigns the person of your choice to be responsible for making your healthcare decisions. This person is usually a family member or friend. 

LawDistrict provides an Advance Directive template that is simple to follow. With this template, you can make your Directive with ease.

Follow this step-by-step guide on how to write your Advance Directive. This way, you know exactly what to include. 

1. Name and Medical POA: Fill in your name to declare the Directive that you are of legal age and sound mind, and assign your agent. Include any limitations your MPOA has on decision-making. 

   

2. Alternate Agents: Select up to 3 substitute agents. Include their addresses and phone numbers, as well as their limitations. 

   

3. Expiry date: Declare you understand the powers of the Power of Attorney continue indefinitely, or until the day you decide. Choose a day that the Power of Attorney will expire if you prefer this option

   

4. Original and copies of the MPOA: Fill in who has your document, as well as the contact information. Include the same information for any copies. 

   

5. Living Will: Choose to declare the medical treatment you would or would not receive in an end-of-life situation. Include any other specific instructions if you wish. 

   

6. Witness signatures: Include the declaration, contact information and signatures of your witnesses. This includes your signature as well. 

   

7. Notarization: If you want to include a notary public as a witness in your Advance Directive, write a declaration for them to sign. 

   

Take advantage of our Advance Directive template to make this process much simpler. 

Advance Directive Decisions

When you make an Advance Directive, it is important to think about your choices and medical preferences. 

What does Advance Directive mean for you? 

If you are drafting an Advance Directive because you want to have control when you are unable to communicate, your decisions could come into effect during one of these medical situations: 

• Terminal illness: You have an incurable illness.

• Vegetative state: You are not conscious and there is little hope for improvement.

• Life support: You cannot live without machines or intervention. 

Depending on the state you live in, signing an Advance Directive could have fewer or more requirements. 

Before you write yours, read your state's law and requirements below.

Before you write a legal form or document, it is always a good idea to see a sample.

Reviewing what an example of an Advance Directive is will help you write your document. It will:

• Help you know what to include

• How to outline your document

• Ensure you don’t make any mistakes

Look at our example template below:

Some medical documents become part of the process of writing your Advance Directive. Others are similar and can help you or a loved one in an identical situation. 

Have a look at the documents below: 

• POA: A document that assigns the responsibility of managing your possessions when you are unable to do so.

• Child Medical Consent: Authorizes non-parents to make medical decisions for someone else’s child.

• DNR: An order not to intervene with life-saving treatment.

• Last Will: A document that states what happens to your property after you pass away. 

You can find templates for all of these legal forms on our website.