Free Living Will Form

The purpose of a Living Will, or Health Care Directive or Advance Directive, is to permit you to be in charge of your medical treatments for end-of-life medical care [1].

There may be a moment when you become incapacitated and cannot make any decisions for your health. Planning for such a moment is crucial while possible.

By writing a Living Will, you as the "declarant" can ask for or refuse specific medical treatments. What that means for you is that doctors and other health care providers will know whether to perform any life-saving procedures or not.

There are different decisions regarding advance care planning and situations where you feel life-saving measures are necessary or, perhaps, you would prefer to pass on peacefully.

• Treatment options
• End-of-life decisions
• Agent

You may wish to have a religious leader by your side in your final moments.

You may also want to choose someone you can rely on to make any important medical decisions.

Adding these terms helps you feel more comfortable about your future and any unfortunate situation.

Before making your own document, it would be helpful to see a sample. Get an idea of what your document should look like with our Living Will example.

Quite a few accidents or diseases can leave us needing life-saving medical attention or life-sustaining treatment.

It is an unfortunate part of life, however, it is something we need to plan for.

That is why Lawdistrict provides a template that makes the process much easier, especially if you want to provide clarity to medical personnel and your family if you ever find yourself in that situation.

Choosing Between Treatment Options

Deciding what medical treatment or procedures you’d want if you have a terminal condition or cannot eat or breathe on your own is one of the most important parts of creating your Living Will.

The best way of deciding on what treatments you would accept or refuse is to discuss it with your family.

Electing End-of-Life Options

Apart from medical decisions, there are other possibilities that you can choose from.

For instance, you may request that a spiritual leader, such as a priest or rabbi, be present to read you your last rights.

Documenting your desire for organ or tissue donation, and planning for funeral arrangements is also recommended [2].

Deciding on a Health Care Agent

Choosing to include a health care agent is advisable, as you may need someone who can advise your family on certain choices. For instance,

• Judgments based on your chance of survival
• Judgments based on your preferences

Each state has specific signing requirements and laws regarding Living Wills that you must follow.

If you wish to write a Living Will, look at your state’s requirements below.

If you feel that it is a wise choice to create a Living Will, then you should know what you need to include in the document.

Here is what should be included in a Living Will:

• Principal: Include the principal’s(Patient) name and address
• Application of living will: Explains which treatment to withhold or to go ahead with any other preferences for end-of-life care
• Further instructions: List any other instructions, such as other terminal illness treatment requests you feel are necessary
• Signature: The signature must fill in the date and sign
• Statement & signature of witnesses: Witnesses sign a declaration stating that everyone is of sound mind
• Statement & signature of Notary Public: If necessary, a notary public also signs the document

A Will, or Last Will and Testament, is an important document for adults to consider.

While the name may be similar, a Will and a Living Will have some key differences.

A Will focuses on what happens after you pass away. It explains your wishes for how your assets will be distributed distributed. It also name the person responsible for managing your estate.

In contrast, a Living Will applies while you're still alive but unable to make decisions. It sets out your medical care preference.

You can see the main differences in the table below:

Depending on the state that you live in, both an Advance Directive and a Living Will could be used interchangeably. Some states use only one of the terms and not the other.

Both Advance Directives and Living Wills are used to decide your health care if needed.

Advance Directives not only include a Living Will, but also a Medical Power of Attorney.

This means that Advance Care Directives include not only your treatment preferences but also give authority to the health care proxy person you choose to make medical decisions on your behalf [3].

There are other legal documents that can ensure your preferred treatments and requests are carried out.

• Medical Power of Attorney
• Last Will and Testament
• Do-Not Resuscitate

Sources: [1] Living wills and advance directives for medical decisions. Mayo Clinic.

[2] Planning Your Own Funeral. FTC.

[3] Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, & Advance Health Care Directives. American Bar.