Quickly create your Maryland health care directive
You can complete FindLaw’s attorney-created health care directive 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.
We back your form purchase with a 30-day guarantee
Find the estate planning form that’s right for you
Okay, let’s get started!
Do you want to talk to a lawyer about your estate planning needs?
Thank you for taking our quiz!
Your answers suggest you might benefit from:
Speaking with
a FindLaw Attorney
- Being part of a blended family
- Caring for children with special needs
- Establishing and maintaining trusts
- …and any other concerns you have!
Great! Let’s keep going.
Do you have children from a previous relationship or a child with special needs?
Thank you for taking our quiz!
Your answers suggest you might benefit from:
Speaking with
a FindLaw Attorney
- Being part of a blended family
- Caring for children with special needs
- Establishing and maintaining trusts
- …and any other concerns you have!
Good to know! You’re doing great.
Do you have a large estate or an interest in more advanced estate planning tools like trusts?
Thank you for taking our quiz!
Your answers suggest you might benefit from:
Speaking with
a FindLaw Attorney
- Being part of a blended family
- Caring for children with special needs
- Establishing and maintaining trusts
- …and any other concerns you have!
Okay! You’re good at this.
Are you looking to have your estate planning basics covered?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Got it! How about this next one?
Do you have minor children?
Sounds good! Let’s continue.
Do you have pets?
Understood! You’re doing great.
Do you want to leave gifts to people or a charity?
Okay! We’re making great progress.
Do you own a business?
Noted! Just a few more questions.
Do you want to decide how your property is distributed when you pass away?
Sounds good! We’re almost done.
Do you want someone to handle your health care decisions if you are unable?
Understood! Last question…
Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Understood! Last question…
Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Sounds good! We’re almost done.
Do you want someone to handle your health care decisions if you are unable?
Understood! Last question…
Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Understood! Last question…
Do you want to specify someone who can make financial decisions for you if you are unavailable or incapacitated?
Good to know! How about this next one?
Do you have a spouse with similar needs?
Thank you for taking our quiz!
Your answers suggest you might benefit from:
Speaking with
a FindLaw Attorney
- Being part of a blended family
- Caring for children with special needs
- Establishing and maintaining trusts
- …and any other concerns you have!
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Estate Planning Package
For One person
- Last will and testament
- Health care directive
- Power of attorney
- Free HIPAA release form
- A comprehensive plan — for less
- Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Power of Attorney
For one person
- Step-by-step guided process
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Health Care Directive
For One Person
- Step-by-step guided process
- A health care directive 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
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament
For One Person
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Estate Planning Package
For two people
- Two wills, health care directives, and 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 up to one year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Power of Attorney
For two people
- Step-by-step guided process
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- Free changes and revisions to your power of attorney for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Health Care Directive
For Two People
- Step-by-step guided process
- A health care directive 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
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament
For Two People
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Health Care Directive + Power of Attorney
For one person
- Step-by-step guided process
- A health care directive 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
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney
For one person
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament + Health Care Directive
For One Person
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
- A health care directive tailored to your needs
- Free HIPAA release form
- Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Health Care Directive + Power of Attorney
For two people
- Step-by-step guided process
- A health care directive 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
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
- Free changes and revisions to your power of attorney for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney
For two people
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
- A power of attorney that’s tailored to your needs
- Free changes and revisions to your power of attorney for up to one full year after purchase
All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:
Last Will and Testament + Health Care Directive
For Two People
- Step-by-step guided process
- Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
- A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
- Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase
- A health care directive tailored to your needs
- Free HIPAA release form
- Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase
Benefits of having a Maryland health care directive
Health care directives 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 to protect your interests and reduce stress on your family and medical team.
FindLaw provides everything you need:
Maryland health care directive options to suit your needs
Health Care Directive
For One Person
A do-it-yourself health care directive that’s easy to personalize.
BEST VALUE
Estate Planning Package
For One person
All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan
How it works
Create your health care directive in under an hour
Create an account
Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time
Gather information
Decide who will be your health care agent/proxy, which treatments you would request or refuse and release your records
Complete your document
Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing
Make it legal
Print and sign your document according to instructions. Give copies to your doctors and agent/proxy
What’s next to make my Maryland health care directive 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 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 health care directive 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 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
Maryland state law provides that you must sign your health care directive 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 should be included in your medical records. Consult your health care agent about ensuring that your health care directive 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
Ready to start your Maryland health care directive?
Create my health care directiveMaryland health care directive commonly asked questions
A health care directive, 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.
In Maryland, a legally valid health care directive must be:
- Voluntarily made
- In writing
- Dated
- Signed by the declarant (you)
- Signed by two witnesses
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.
A health care directive can be revoked by the declarant (the person making the health care directive) at any time. In Maryland, a declarant can revoke a health care directive by:
- A signed and dated writing revoking the document
- A statement withdrawing the health care directive to the declarant’s attending physician
- Writing a new health care directive
- Destroying the document (e.g., burning, tearing, shredding, etc.)
No, creating a health care directive and naming an agent does not mandate the agent to pay any of your health care costs.
You do not need to hire an attorney to make a legally valid Maryland health care directive. 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.
Already Have an Account?
Sign In
Sign into your Legal Forms and Services account to manage your estate planning documents.
Sign InCreate a Free Account for all Your Estate Planning Needs
Creating a free account allows you to:
- Access state-specific content curated especially for you
- Save your progress so you can finish at your own pace
- Download, print, or edit your stored documents
Your account is secured by Thomson Reuters, one of the world's most trusted providers of answers.
