Quickly create your Maryland Health Care Directive and Living Will

You can complete FindLaw’s attorney-created health care directive and living will forms in less than an hour at home. Our guided process takes you through a few easy steps and includes a free HIPAA release form. You’ll be able to download, print and sign your documents in no time.

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Our directory of experienced, local attorneys can help you with circumstances such as:

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Being part of a blended family
Caring for children with special needs
Establishing and maintaining trusts
…and any other concerns you have!

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Our Estate Planning Package includes a Last Will & Testament, Health Care Directive & Living Will, and Financial Power of Attorney to cover all of your basic estate planning needs.

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Do you have minor children?

If you have minor children, you will want to name a guardian for them.

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If you have a pet or pets, you will want to name someone to care for them.

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If you want to give items or money to people or charities, you will want to make what are known as “specific gifts.”

Yes

Do you own a business?

If you own a business or a share of a business, you will want to plan for succession of ownership.

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Do you want to decide how your property is distributed when you pass away?

Yes

Do you want someone to handle your health care decisions if you are unable?

In case you are incapacitated, you will want to list your health care preferences and name someone to handle your health care decisions.

Yes

Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you want someone to handle your health care decisions if you are unable?

In case you are incapacitated, you will want to list your health care preferences and name someone to handle your health care decisions.

Yes

Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?

Yes

Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Speaking with
a FindLaw Attorney

Our directory of experienced, local attorneys can help you with circumstances such as:

What’s included:

Being part of a blended family
Caring for children with special needs
Establishing and maintaining trusts
…and any other concerns you have!

Estate Planning Package

For One Person

*Select your state

$135

What’s included:

Last will and testament
Health care directive & living will
Financial power of attorney
Free HIPAA release form
A comprehensive plan — for less
Free changes and revisions for one full year after purchase

*Select your state

Financial Power of Attorney

For One Person

*Select your state

$39

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Health Care Directive & Living Will

For One Person

*Select your state

$39

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your health care directive and living will before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament

For One Person

*Select your state

$79

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your will for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Estate Planning Package

For Two People

*Select your state

$255

What’s included:

Two wills, health care directives & living wills, and financial powers of attorney
Two free HIPAA release forms
You and your loved one create your own estate plans tailored to your individual needs
Attorney-approved documents customized to your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions for one full year after purchase

*Select your state

Financial Power of Attorney

For Two People

*Select your state

$78

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create an attorney-approved power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Health Care Directive & Living Will

For Two People

*Select your state

$78

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy.
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create an attorney-approved document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament

For Two People

*Select your state

$149

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create two wills customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your wills for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Health Care Directive & Living Will + Financial Power of Attorney

For One Person

*Select your state

$78

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your health care directive and living will before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase
Create your state-specific documents before you buy
Create a power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Financial Power of Attorney

For One Person

*Select your state

$118

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your will for a full year after purchase
Create your state-specific documents before you buy
Create a power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Health Care Directive & Living Will

For One Person

*Select your state

$118

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create a last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your will for a full year after purchase
Create your health care directive and living will before you buy
Create a document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Health Care Directive & Living Will + Financial Power of Attorney

For Two People

*Select your state

$156

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy.
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create an attorney-approved document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy
Create an attorney-approved power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Financial Power of Attorney

For Two People

*Select your state

$227

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create two wills customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your wills for a full year after purchase
Create an attorney-approved power of attorney that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Health Care Directive & Living Will

For Two People

*Select your state

$227

What’s included:

Try our easy step-by-step guide
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy
Only purchase if you are satisfied with your estate planning documents
Create two wills customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free changes and revisions to your wills for a full year after purchase
Create your state-specific, attorney-approved documents before you buy.
Create an attorney-approved document that’s customized to your wishes and your state’s laws
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Benefits of having a Maryland Health Care Directive and Living Will

Health care directives and living wills ensure your health care wishes are known and carried out if you become infirm. Patients can leave individual instructions about end-of-life care and life-sustaining treatments. This way, family members and health care providers will know your treatment preferences and be able to make decisions on your behalf.

FindLaw can help you create a customized Maryland health care directive and living will to protect your interests and reduce stress on your family and medical team.

FindLaw provides everything you need:

Learn about your options for a DIY health care directive and living will
Use the guided process to create a personalized health care directive and living will
Find out how to make your health care directive and living will valid
Find answers to common questions about health care directives and living wills

Last updated: January 27, 2022

Written by:

Linda Long, J.D.

Contributing Author

Reviewed by:

Tim Kelly, J.D.

Contributing Author

Maryland Health Care Directive and Living Will Options To Fit Your Needs

Health Care Directive & Living Will
For One Person

A do-it-yourself health care directive & living will that’s easy to personalize.

$39

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process

A health care directive and living will tailored to your needs

Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws

Free HIPAA release form

Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase

* Select your state:

BEST VALUE

Estate Planning Package
For one person

All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan

$135

What’s included:

Last will and testament

Health care directive & living will

Financial power of attorney

Free HIPAA release form

A comprehensive plan — for less

Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase

* Select your state:

How It Works

Create your health care directive & living will in under an hour.

Answer Some Questions

Decide who will be your health care agent/proxy and which medical treatments you would request or refuse.

Create an Account

Creating an account is easy, quick, and secure. Save your information as you go and return when you have time.

Complete Your Document

Once you answer the relevant questions, we do the hard part and create your unique document.

Print, Sign & Make It Legal

Print and sign your document according to the instructions. Give a copy to your doctors and agent/proxy.

What’s Next To Make My Maryland Health Care Directive and Living Will Valid?

Follow these steps:

Choose your health care agent.

A health care agent is a proxy whose job is to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make such decisions for yourself. Your agent should be an adult that you trust to advocate for you if you become incapacitated. Your agent must make decisions based on your wishes and not the opinions of family or friends.

You should also consider finding an alternate agent. Your alternate agent should share the same trustworthy and decisive qualities as your primary agent. Remember that another agent will not make health care decisions for you unless your principal agent cannot or will not do so.

Make health care planning decisions.

The purpose of having a health care directive and living will is to make crucial health care decisions for yourself while you can. It is hard to think of not being able to speak, being permanently unconscious, or not advocating for yourself. Therefore, a living will is an essential part of your medical records so that in the event of incapacitation, your decisions will already have been made.

Some medical treatment preferences that you may want to consider when completing your health care directive and living will include:

Whether you want to allow natural death or remain on life support in the case of a terminal condition
If you wish to stay on life support if you are in a persistent vegetative state
Preferences for care in your end-stage condition
Preferences for pain relief

Sign your health care directive and living will.

Maryland state law provides that you must sign your health care directive and living will in the presence of two adult witnesses.

Notarize your document.

Notarization is not required in Maryland for your signature or the signature of the witnesses. However, it may be prudent to have the signatures notarized if your witnesses cannot verify their signatures. A notary page removes the need to have your witnesses independently verify their signatures.

Share and store your document.

Your health care directive and living will should be included in your medical records. Consult your health care agent about ensuring that your health care directive and living will is available to your medical team when you are hospitalized. Keep your document in a safe place and give a copy to the person you named as your health care agent.

You May Want to Speak With a Lawyer if:

Your family disagrees with your medical choices
You don’t know who to appoint as your agent
You have questions about life prolonging measures
You want legal review of your completed document

Find a Local Estate Planning Lawyer

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Maryland Living Will FAQs

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What is a health care directive and living will in Maryland?

A health care directive and living will, also known as an advance directive, is a legal document under Maryland law that states your medical treatment preferences in the event of your incapacity. This document protects you by keeping you in control of your medical care even if you cannot communicate your wishes.

What are the legal requirements for a health care directive and living will in Maryland?

In Maryland, a legally valid living will must be:

Voluntarily made
In writing
Dated
Signed by the declarant (you)
Signed by two witnesses

What are the limitations of a Maryland health care and living will?

An agent’s authority is limited only when you are incapacitated, meaning you cannot speak or communicate your medical treatment preferences. However, you can choose when your agent’s authority begins. You can choose to have decision-making authority when you sign the document or have the power come into effect once you become incapacitated.

How do I revoke a Maryland health care directive and living will?

A health care directive and living will can be revoked by the declarant (the person making the living will) at any time. In Maryland, a declarant can revoke a living will by:

A signed and dated writing revoking the document
A statement withdrawing the health care directive and living will to the declarant’s attending physician
Writing a new health care directive and living will
Destroying the document (e.g., burning, tearing, shredding, etc.)

Is my agent financially responsible for any of my health care costs?

No, creating a health care directive and living will and naming an agent does not mandate the agent to pay any of your health care costs.

Should I hire a lawyer to review my health care directive and living will in Maryland?

You do not need to hire an attorney to make a legally valid Maryland health care directive and living will. FindLaw’s team of attorneys has created a form that will take you step-by-step through the process of completing your document from the comfort of your own home!

FindLaw is not a law firm, and the forms are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. If you have a complex case, or would like a lawyer’s review of your estate planning documents, please visit our directory to find a lawyer near you.

Complex Family Situation? Need Additional Guidance?

Contact a local estate planning attorney.

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Health Care Directive & Living Will
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