Living Will Type For Free

Creating a living will or advance directive An attorney who focuses on estate planning can create an advance directive for you and will know your state's laws. You can also create one on your own, but you must make sure it meets your state's requirements.

A living will is a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be used to keep you alive, as well as your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation. In determining your wishes, think about your values.

Resources available to you include legal document creation software; a free living will form provided by your physician, local hospital, local senior center or state's medical association; and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which allows you to download a state-specific advance directive form.

An advance directive is a set of instructions someone prepares in advance of ill health that determines his healthcare wishes. A living will is one type of advance directive that becomes effective when a person is terminally ill.

There are two main types of advance directive the Living Will and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. There are also hybrid documents which combine elements of the Living Will with those of the Durable Power of Attorney. A Living Will is the oldest type of health care advance directive.

You do not need a lawyer to make a living will, although you can get one from a lawyer if you prefer to. Every state has its own requirements for making a living will, so if you make one on your own, make sure you find a form that meets your state's requirements.

The most common statement in a living will is to the effect that: If I suffer an incurable, irreversible illness, disease, or condition and my attending physician determines that my condition is terminal, I direct that life-sustaining measures that would serve only to prolong my dying be withheld or discontinued.