Free Living Will

Make your wishes known! Your free living will speaks on your behalf when you are incapacitated and unable to do so. It is a health care directive, instructing medical personnel and family in advance as to what medical treatment you wish to receive and how you wish your remains to be treated as far as organ donations are concerned.

A living will is not part of your last will and testament where you will specify funeral arrangements. Read more in How to Write a Will.

An advance health directive is not difficult to compose and need not be done by a lawyer to be legally binding. Our Free Living Will Form can be used as a sample document which you can edit to reflect your personal wishes.

What is important before completing your free living will form, is to have an open discussion with your loved ones in advance as to your preferences. The best time to do this is when you are in good health and of sound mind. Even younger people must consider leaving a living will because a medical crisis can happen to anybody.

Your living will only comes into effect when you can no longer communicate. For your loved ones it can relieve the stress of having to make agonizing decisions, knowing what your wishes are - even avoiding possible disagreement amongst family members.

To make your living will legally binding:

* It must be witnessed by two people who are legal adults

* Witnesses must not be related to you in any way

* They can not be beneficiaries of your estate

* They are not directly involved with your health care providers

* They have not been named as your agent in a medical power of attorney document or in your living will

You can ask anybody who knows you such as a friend, co-worker or neighbor to witness your signature.

Signed copies of your living will should be given to your physician and close family or friends.

It is not necessary to have your free living will notarized by a notary public or commissioner of oath, though you can do so if you wish. You can cancel or change your living will at any time.

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Consider your beliefs and preferences seriously and then set out your advance health directives in the free living will form provided.