Generate A Living Will with LegalZone

What Is a Living Will?

A Living Will, also known as a Health Care Directive or Advance Directive, is a document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical treatment.

Living Wills are generally used by people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness to set up their end-of-life medical care.

However, anyone can make a Living Will at any time as a safety precaution if they later get into a situation where they cannot speak on their own behalf. Creating a legal document eliminates any guesswork if your loved ones or doctors are left to interpret your wishes for treatment.

Is a Living Will the Same as a Will?

No. A Will is a legal document that states how a person’s assets are to be distributed upon their death. A Living Will no longer has power after the person’s death, but it can give their family a guideline on how they wish to be treated if they can no longer communicate their wishes.

Additionally, a Living Will differs from medical Power of Attorney by providing explicit directions from the individual rather than allowing their representative to make the call. However, sometimes a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney are combined into one document that gives one person the responsibility to take the specific actions listed in the Living Will.

What Do You Put in a Living Will?

A Living Will consists of three categories: life support, life-sustaining treatment, and end-of-life wishes. The document should state the treatments you do or do not want to receive in a life-threatening scenario.

For example, if someone is in a car accident and is in a coma on life support, their Living Will would indicate whether or not they would like to stay on life support if they’re determined to be brain dead.

The Living Will states whether the individual wants certain conditions to be met before removing life-support measures. The document can solidify any unique or special requests, such as if they wish for their body or organs to be donated for medical research.

What Are the Benefits of a Living Will?

The primary benefit of a Living Will is being able to have your wishes carried out for your end-of-life treatment. It also allows your loved ones and doctors to act according to your preferences if you cannot speak for yourself.

What Happens If You Have a Living Will?

If a person with a Living Will enters a state where they cannot speak on their own behalf, their healthcare provider or family members review the document. The healthcare team offers treatment based on the individual’s wishes.

How Do I Make a Living Will?

To make a Living Will, you have to determine your treatment preferences in scenarios such as a coma, a vegetative state, incapacitation, dementia, or severe Alzheimer’s. You can decide what conditions need to be met before you are taken off life support during life-preservation situations.

You can also list preferences for a religious person being present to give you your last rights or for funeral proceedings. If you want your body or organs to be donated to medical research, you can indicate this here as well.

Some Living Wills include the appointment of a healthcare agent to carry out your wishes.

When everything is in order, you’ll sign the document along with witnesses and/or a notary, depending on the state you live in. Once signed, the Living Will goes into effect, and you should store it someplace safe.

Creating a Living Will with LegalZone

Within minutes, you can have your Living Will set up and ready to sign. At LegalZone, we make getting the legal documents you need affordable and accessible.

To begin your Living Will, click here.