How to Create a Living Will

Living wills, often called Advance Health Care Directives, are written documents which describe the type and extent of medical care an individual chooses for himself/herself in the event of the incapacity to make decisions on his/her own. Since advance health care directives are gaining popularity nowadays as a means of total control, people are opting to choose living wills rather than a living trust or the decisions of doctors or family members in the event that they lose consciousness from a terminal illness or a grave sickness. The question now is how to create or get a living will?

Living wills vary from state to state and country to country. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a lawyer to fill out or create a living will for you. Although appointing one is not a bad idea, it is essentially not necessary to have one in carrying out your living will. Living wills are created and completed while being witnessed by two competent and responsible adults who will not serve as a health care agent (more of them later) and notarized. Having a divorce online or elsewhere will not affect the creation and witnessing of your living will, as the witnesses need not be a family member.

In some states, health care agents are necessary in completing the living will. Health care agents are people who understood the individual’s medical and health care wishes and accepts the responsibility of acknowledging the individuals decisions. Health care agents could be anyone over the age of 18, who is not the attending physician of the individual or health care provider included. This can include a vlos family member, a spouse, an adult child or a friend.

The last thing to do is to give out copies of these living wills to everyone involved, whether this be your attending physician, your health care agents and your immediate family. By knowing how to creat a living will, you’ll know that your future is secured.