Creating a living will lets you to control your medical care even if you become incapacitated.

A living will is an advance health care directive. It is accompanied by a specific type of power-of-attorney or health care proxy that grants a power-of-attorney to another party in case of the disability of the principal. These are legal instruments that are usually witnessed or notarized.

A living will contains specific directives as to the course of treatment that is to be taken (or with held) by caregivers. In some cases forbidding treatment, and sometimes also food and water, should the principal be unable to give informed consent ("individual health care instruction") due to their incapacity.


How do I make a living will? Fortunately, it is now easier than ever to develop your own legally valid living will, quickly and economically. Online legal document preparation services and specialty software are readily available and very affordable. These tools can produce a valid living will within just a few hours. In the event that you have a more complex situation and feel you need to consult an attorney and/or tax adviser to prepare a more customized plan for your situation this initial plan can serve as the basis of a more detailed plan. If you do not have a living will now, I urge you to begin preparing one soon.


A "durable" power-of-attorney for health care appoints an individual (as their proxy) to direct health care decisions should the principal be unable to do so. The power is called "durable" because it authorizes the agent to act even in the event of the disability of the principal.

In the United States, most states recognize living wills or the designation of a health care proxy. Some states limit the rights of pregnant women to enact a valid Living Will. Surveys show that one-third of Americans say they've had to make decisions about end-of-life care for a loved one.

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