Quickly create your Washington 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.

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…and any other concerns you have!

Are you looking to have your estate planning basics covered?

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 a spouse with similar needs?

Yes

Do you have minor children?

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

Yes

Do you have pets?

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

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Do you want to leave gifts to people or a charity?

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

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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?

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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
Living will
Power of attorney
Free HIPAA release form
A comprehensive plan — for less
Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase

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Power of Attorney

For one person

*Select your state

$39

What’s included:

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

*Select your state

Living Will

For One Person

*Select your state

$39

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process
A 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

Last Will and Testament

For One Person

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$79

What’s included:

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

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Estate Planning Package

For two people

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$255

What’s included:

Two wills, living wills, 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

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Power of Attorney

For two people

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$78

What’s included:

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

*Select your state

Living Will

For Two People

*Select your state

$78

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process
A 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

Last Will and Testament

For Two People

*Select your state

$149

What’s included:

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

*Select your state

Living Will + Power of Attorney

For one person

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$78

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process
A 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
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

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney

For one person

*Select your state

$118

What’s included:

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

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Living Will

For One Person

*Select your state

$118

What’s included:

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 living will tailored to your needs
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Living Will + Power of Attorney

For two people

*Select your state

$156

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process
A 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
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

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney

For two people

*Select your state

$227

What’s included:

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

*Select your state

Last Will and Testament + Living Will

For Two People

*Select your state

$227

What’s included:

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 living will tailored to your needs
Free HIPAA release form
Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase

*Select your state

Why create a health care directive in Washington?

A Washington health care directive allows family members and health care workers to know your medical treatment preferences if you ever become incapacitated. With a health care directive, you can leave individual instructions about the types of end-of-life care and life-sustaining treatments you would like to receive. FindLaw has made the process simple, quick, and effective, so there is no reason not to have one.

FindLaw provides everything you need:

Last updated: February 01, 2022

Written by:

Linda Long, J.D.

Contributing Author

Reviewed by:

Tim Kelly, J.D.

Contributing Author

Washington health care directive options to fit your needs

Health Care Directive
For One Person

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

$39

What’s included:

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

* 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

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 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 Washington health care directive valid?

Follow these steps:

Decide what kind of care and treatment you will receive

Suppose you are diagnosed with a terminal illness or become permanently unconscious. In that case, you will not be able to make your own choices about medical care. To adequately prepare for a time when you are incapacitated, you must consider the following medical treatment preferences:

The use or withdrawal of life support
The use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Life-prolonging procedures
Pain management treatments
Life-support treatment
Life-prolonging treatment
Admittance to a long-term facility
Admittance to an adult care facility
Surgical treatment

Choose an agent

You must choose a person to act as your health care agent. This is the person you trust to advocate for you and ensure that your wishes are honored. Your agent must be an adult. They should know you well enough to make medical decisions for you.

The role of a health care agent in advance care planning is vital because this person serves as your voice. In the absence of explicit instructions, your health care agent may have to make decisions on your behalf even if you do not leave an advance directive.

Sign and notarize

Sign your advance directive in front of two adult witnesses and have it notarized.

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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Frequently asked questions about Washington health care directives

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What are the legal requirements to make a valid health care directive in Washington?

In Washington state, the requirements for a legally valid health care directive include:

The person making a health care directive be at least 18 years old
The person making a health care directive must be of sound mind
Two witnesses must see the person sign their health care directive
The witnesses must not be related to the person making a health care directive, and they cannot benefit from the health care directive

What is a health care directive?

A health care directive is a legal document that states a patient’s medical preferences. It is only effective once a person becomes unable to speak or communicate their medical treatment preferences due to some sort of permanent incapacity.

What are health care values?

Your health care values are your medical treatment preferences. You are the ultimate decision-maker in your medical care decisions. You must consider your stance on the following:

- Life-sustaining treatment
- Types of treatment
- Hospice care facilities
- Long-term care facilities
- Life-prolonging treatment
- Natural death
- Life-prolonging acts withdrawal
- Wishes about resuscitation
- Withdrawal of life support

Does my health care directive say who will make decisions for me?

An important part of advance care planning is choosing a health care agent, also known as a health care proxy. Your health care agent is responsible for making your medical wishes known and ensuring that your treatment preferences are honored. The health care proxy should know your health care values.

Can I still make my own decisions?

Yes, you can still make your own decisions. The provisions in the advance directive are only applicable once you are diagnosed with a terminal condition or deemed by two physicians to be in a permanent unconscious condition. The only time that an advance directive will take effect is when you cannot make decisions for yourself.

Also, you can change your health care directive at any time. However, be sure to forward a copy of the new health care directive to the health care facility where you will be treated, as well as to your health care proxy and close family.

Who should create a health care directive?

Advance directives should be written by anyone that wants to remain in control of their medical treatment preferences in the event they become incapacitated. Each of us must be able to advocate for ourselves when it comes to health care. An advance directive allows us to remain in control even when we cannot speak.

Am I required to do anything else after making a health care directive in Washington?

Make sure that a copy of your advance care directive is a part of your medical record. Ensure that you have a copy for yourself and another for your health care agent. If you decide to change your advance directive, be sure to make the updated version available to your health care team and your health care agent right away.

Complex family situation? Need additional guidance?

Contact a local estate planning attorney.

Quickly create your Washington health care directive

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