Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive
A living will, also called an advance healthcare directive, is a written statement of a person's own wishes about life-sustaining medical treatment and end-of-life care, intended to guide physicians and family when that person can no longer communicate those decisions directly. Use this when someone wants to put their own preferences about resuscitation, life support, artificial nutrition, and pain management in writing before a medical crisis makes it impossible to ask them directly. This document states the Principal's own directions rather than appointing anyone to decide on their behalf — pair it with a Medical Power of Attorney if a decision-maker should also be named. Many states require particular witnessing or notarization formalities before hospitals will honor a living will, so confirm and complete those steps for the Principal's state before relying on it.
What's included
A ready-to-use living will / advance healthcare directive with signature fields already placed for Principal and Witness. Fill in the bracketed details (like [Company Name] or [Date]) using Docracy's built-in text editor, then send it out for signature.
This is a general template for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney to review it for your specific situation and jurisdiction before use.
Key clauses
- Statement of intent and mental capacity
- Instructions on resuscitation (CPR/DNR)
- Instructions on artificial life support and ventilation
- Instructions on artificial nutrition and hydration
- Pain management and comfort care preferences
- Conditions under which the directive takes effect
What you'll fill in
[Principal's Full Name][Principal's Date of Birth][Effective Date][Resuscitation Preference][Artificial Nutrition/Hydration Preference][Witness Name(s)][Attending Physician Determination Clause]Legal summary
Signing a living will records a person's own instructions about the medical care they do or do not want if they become unable to communicate, so that physicians and family have written guidance instead of having to guess. It does not appoint anyone to make decisions on the person's behalf, since that requires a separate healthcare power of attorney, and it only takes effect under the specific medical conditions described in the document. Because many places require particular witnessing or notarization before healthcare providers will honor it, the underlying wishes should be documented in a way that satisfies the requirements where the person lives.
Free for up to 2 signers, no account required. Need unlimited? Flat $10/month.
FAQ
Is this Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive legally binding?
Signing through Docracy uses a simple electronic signature (SES), which is legally recognized for everyday business agreements under laws like the U.S. ESIGN Act and the EU's eIDAS regulation. This is a general template, not legal advice — for high-stakes or regulated agreements, have a qualified attorney review it for your situation.
Who needs to sign this Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive?
This template includes signature fields for Principal and Witness — already placed, so you just fill in the details and send.
Can I edit this Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive before sending it?
Yes — Docracy's editor lets you edit the text, add or remove signature fields, redact sections, and reorder pages before you send it.
Do I need an account to send this Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive?
No — it's free for up to 2 signers with no account required. Create a free account only if you want to save it to a dashboard or reuse it later.
Try it with an AI assistant
Paste one of these into ChatGPT, Claude, or your assistant of choice:
“Explain what a living will / advance healthcare directive actually covers before I sign one.”
“What is the difference between a living will and a medical power of attorney?”
“Help me think through what to say about resuscitation and artificial nutrition in my advance directive.”
Why teams start with Docracy
“Docracy is a great product that I have tested and am using. It is easy to use, has good tools, is always up to date, and implements new features. Highly recommended.”— DACH Advisory
Free for up to 2 signers, no account required. Need unlimited? Flat $10/month.