Do you need an attorney to write an advance directive?
Posted on: January 27th, 2021 by Chad Hill
Advance directives are legal, written documents that state your health care wishes for the end of your life when you are no longer able to make those decisions on your own. Each state has a different form for advance directives and different requirements. However, these forms do not need to be prepared by an attorney.
Advice for Creating Advance Directives
- You can find links to your state’s advance directive forms online. My Living Wishes can help you with this. We will let you know your state’s requirements. Some states require advance directives to be signed by a witness.
- If you move to another state, you will need to fill out a new advance directive for your current state.
- A lawyer is allowed to help you with the advance directive process, but hiring a lawyer for this purpose is not necessary.
- Your advance directive forms need to be reviewed by your doctor. Your doctor and health care team will need a copy of it when it is completely filled out.
- Your family members and loved ones should also know about your advance directive. Talk to them about it beforehand, so everyone is clear on your health care wishes.
- If you experience a change of mind after you have completed an advance directive, you are allowed to change it. To change an advance directive, you create a new form, distribute new copies to your doctor and health care team, and have all the old copies destroyed. Communicate your changes with everyone who knew about the first advance directive.
- Try not to forget about your advance directive. Changes in your life can change your thoughts about the way you want health care handled at the end of your life. Review your advance directive to be sure it still reflects your true wishes.
At My Living Wishes, we make sure you have completed everything correctly so your end-of-life health care wishes become legally binding. We will help you every step of the way. Contact us to begin your planning now.
