Living will: what it is and how to make one

The short answer: a living will is a written legal document that tells doctors and family which medical treatments you would and would not want if you are too ill or injured to say so yourself.

• Covers CPR, breathing machines, tube feeding, tests and blood transfusions
• Not about money or property, and it doesn't replace a regular will
• Steps: get your state's form, talk with your doctor, decide and write
• Name a health care agent and share copies
• Free printable: keep it where family can find it with our emergency binder starter pages, including a documents checklist (we email it to you)
• Next step: Plan it with the If Something Happens to Me Binder ($11.99).

A living will is a written legal document that tells doctors and family which medical treatments you would and would not want if you are too ill or injured to say so yourself. MedlinePlus describes it as a type of advance care directive that can cover CPR, breathing machines, tube feeding, tests and blood transfusions. It is not about money or property, and it does not replace a regular will. Below is what a living will covers, how to make one, how it fits with a health care power of attorney and where to keep it so it is found when it matters. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.

Our If Something Happens to Me Binder has a My wishes section and key contacts pages, so your family knows where your living will is and who to call.

What a living will covers

Mayo Clinic's guide to living wills and advance directives suggests thinking through each of these decisions with your doctor. For each one, you can say yes, no, or "only if recovery is likely."

It also helps to write a few lines about your values. For example: "I value being able to recognize my family. If that is not expected to return, I want comfort care only." That kind of sentence helps your health care agent with situations the form does not list.

Living will vs. other advance directives

A living will is one piece of a set. MedlinePlus notes that you cannot name a decision-maker in a living will, which is why most people pair it with a health care power of attorney.

A living will is not the same as a last will and testament; see what is a will for the difference.

A living will is about health care, not property. For property, see our guide on what is a trust, which explains how a living trust works.

Many states print the living will and the health care power of attorney on a single advance directive form. Our guide to the medical power of attorney explains how to choose the person who will speak for you.

For money and property, a separate durable power of attorney form names someone to act for you.

How to make a living will

1. Get your state's form. Each state has its own rules. MedlinePlus's advance directives page links to resources, and hospitals and state health departments often have free forms.
2. Talk with your doctor. Ask what each treatment involves for someone with your health history.
3. Decide and write. Go through the treatment list and add a values statement.
4. Name a health care agent on the same form if your state allows it.
5. Sign it correctly. Depending on the state you may need two witnesses, a notary or either. Witnesses usually cannot be your agent or your doctor.
6. Share copies. Give copies to your doctor, your agent and close family.
7. Review it. Revisit after a new diagnosis, marriage, divorce, or about every 10 years.

Who should have one, and when

Every adult benefits from a living will. Mayo Clinic notes that advance directives are not only for older adults because accidents and sudden illness can happen at any age. Good moments to sign one:

• turning 18 or leaving for college;
• getting married or having a baby;
• before major surgery;
• after a serious diagnosis;
• when you start caring for an aging parent and realize you have not done your own.

Make sure it can be found

A living will only helps if the right people have it at the right moment. Mayo Clinic suggests keeping the original somewhere safe and easy to reach, giving copies to your doctor and agent, keeping a record of who has copies and carrying a wallet card that names your agent. MedlinePlus adds that you should bring a copy if you go into the hospital.

The If Something Happens to Me Binder ($11.99, printable PDF) gives your family one place to find this. Its My wishes page records your medical and end-of-life wishes and where the signed documents are, Key Contacts lists your agent and doctor, and Where to Find Documents points to the original living will, power of attorney and regular will. If you are setting this up for a parent you care for, the Caregiver Organizer ($6.99) keeps the care team contacts, medication list, insurance and documents and questions for the doctor together, so the living will sits next to the information doctors ask for first.

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For the printed organizer and copies of your documents, use an Avery Durable View 1-inch binder with Avery heavyweight sheet protectors. Record where the signed originals are kept so copies do not get mistaken for originals.

Living will examples: how to word your wishes

State forms usually have check boxes, but a few sentences in your own words make your wishes much clearer to an agent and a medical team. Some examples people commonly use:

• "If I am in a permanent coma or a persistent vegetative state, I do not want a breathing machine or tube feeding. I want medicine for pain even if it shortens my life."
• "If there is a reasonable chance I will recover and be able to live independently, try all treatments for a limited time, then reassess."
• "I want to die at home if possible, with hospice care."
• "I want to donate any organs and tissues that can help others, and I accept short-term life support so donation can happen."
• "My religious beliefs matter to me. Please contact my pastor or faith leader."

There is no single right answer. Some people want every treatment in every situation, and that is a valid living will too. The point is that it is written down and your family knows it.

State rules to check

Because every state sets its own rules, look for these details on your state's form:

If you spend part of the year in another state, many people sign a form for each state to be safe.

Talking to family about your living will

The form is the easy part. The conversation is what prevents conflict later. A few tips:

• Pick a calm moment, not a hospital waiting room.
• Explain your reasons, not just your choices.
• Tell everyone who your agent is, so nobody is surprised.
• Ask your agent to repeat your wishes back to you.
• Write down that the conversation happened and who was there.

For related planning, see how to make a will, our emergency binder checklist and our guide on how to organize medical records.