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Do you want to talk to a lawyer about your estate planning needs?

You may have a unique situation or have specific questions about what is right for you and your family. In these cases, it may be best to talk to an attorney.
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There are special considerations to make if you have a blended family or a child with special needs. In these cases, it may be best to talk to an attorney.
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Our directory of experienced, local attorneys can help you with circumstances such as:
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  • …and any other concerns you have!
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Do you have a large estate or an interest in more advanced estate planning tools like trusts?

If your estate equals or exceeds a value of $1 million, or needs special estate planning tools like trusts, it may be best to talk with an attorney.
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Our directory of experienced, local attorneys can help you with circumstances such as:
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  • Establishing and maintaining trusts
  • …and any other concerns you have!
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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?

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

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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Understood! Last question…

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

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Do you have a spouse with similar needs?

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Thank you for taking our quiz!
Your answers suggest you might benefit from:

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!
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Estate Planning Package

For One person

$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

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Living Will

For One Person

$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
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Last Will and Testament

For One Person

$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

$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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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Power of Attorney

For two people

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Living Will

For Two People

$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
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Last Will and Testament

For Two People

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Living Will + Power of Attorney

For one person

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney

For one person

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Last Will and Testament + Living Will

For One Person

$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
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All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Living Will + Power of Attorney

For two people

$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
Close

All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Last Will and Testament + Power of Attorney

For two people

$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
Close

All done! Based on your answers, we recommend:

Last Will and Testament + Living Will

For Two People

$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

Does My Medical Provider Need To Follow My Health Care Directive?

Medical care providers are generally held to a strict legal duty to comply with your recorded wishes related to your health care if you become incapacitated. But there are some situations in which your doctor or medical care provider can go against the wishes that you have outlined in your advance directive.

Table of Contents

Health care directives are legal documents that allow you to specify your medical care preferences in the event you cannot make decisions for yourself. They often address life-sustaining treatments, end-of-life care, and organ donation, among other advanced care planning. You may also appoint a representative to carry out your wishes and make further decisions on your behalf. But do your health care providers have to follow your instructions or your agent’s decisions?

Duty to Follow Advance Health Care Directives

Medical care providers are generally held to a strict legal duty to comply with your recorded wishes related to your health care if you become incapacitated. In addition, if your health care directive or living will appoint someone as a legal agent in charge of your health care (also called a health care power of attorney), your providers are also under a duty to follow their orders and decisions about your care.

Exceptions

There are some situations in which your doctor or medical care provider can go against the wishes that you have outlined in your advance directive. Health care providers can do so when:

  • Your decision is contrary to the conscience of your individual medical services provider
  • Your decision goes against the policy of the health care institution
  • Your decision would result in ineffective health care or violates the provider’s health care standards

Even if one of these situations applies, your health care provider cannot just ignore your medical directive. Your provider must immediately inform you or your agent. Then you or your representative will have the option to transfer you to another doctor or medical facility where your wishes and instructions will be honored. Indeed, if your doctor or medical care provider refuses to do so and still goes against your health care decisions, the doctor may be liable for damages to you.

If you are in a serious emergency, you may receive care from health care professionals you do not know or at health care facilities you have not been to. In cases like these, medical providers may not know, or even have time to find, your directive. You may be able to provide your preferences quickly by using a wallet card, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) bracelet, or mobile phone app.

State Law Pregnancy Exceptions

If you are pregnant, doctors and medical care providers may be able to legally ignore your wishes and orders contained in your health care directives. Over half of all states have pregnancy clauses that invalidate a person’s advance directive if they are pregnant. Some states do this automatically, and some states allow a doctor to make that decision. Restrictions on whether a pregnant person can make their own decision sometimes depend on whether the fetus is likely to survive, and sometimes not. These laws legally override DNRs and other medical preferences for life-sustaining treatment.

In order to have your wishes still be carried out, you should specifically state in your health care directives what your wishes are for your care when you are pregnant. Even if you specify your wishes for when you are pregnant, your doctor may still be able to override your wishes to keep your embryo or fetus alive. Sometimes this decision is state-mandated, and your doctor cannot override it, even if they determine it to be counter to your best interest.

State advance directive forms and DNR forms often do not mention pregnancy exceptions. Check to see if your state addresses pregnancy in advance directives.

Strengthen Your Medical Directive

Your medical directive is more likely to be followed if it is well-informed and shared with those around you. Here are some methods to ensure your health care instructions are respected:

  • Consult your doctor and review your medical record make sure your advance directive covers relevant choices and discuss what makes the most sense for you.
  • Talk to your family members, close friends, health care proxy, and/or caregivers to make your treatment preferences clear.
  • Review and update your directive if or when you receive a new diagnosis or your medical condition changes.
  • Review and update your advance directive form once every decade.
  • Give copies of your health care directive to your loved ones and medical providers.
  • Make sure your legal document complies with state law.

Include Common Situations

Make sure your health care directive includes instructions on how you would like to be treated in different situations. End-of-life decisions that are commonly addressed in advance directives include:

  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders
  • Artificial nutrition and hydration (such as tube feeding)
  • Organ donation
  • Palliative care (such as pain management or hospice care)
  • Life support (such as ventilation)
  • Continuation of dialysis

Also, consider how these decisions might change depending on the emergency. What if your mental health is impaired by, for example, a stroke? Would you prefer to be placed in a nursing facility, or would you want to receive care at home? What if you are diagnosed with a serious illness or terminal condition? Under what circumstances would you prefer a natural death?

Choose A Good Health Care Agent

Find a good advocate to be your durable power of attorney for health care! You can choose almost any adult to represent you, but a good medical agent will make sure that your doctor respects your medical decisions. Here are things to keep in mind when appointing your health care proxy:

  • Are they good at decision-making? You want an assertive individual who is dedicated to carrying out your treatment decisions. This means they need to be a confident decision maker. They must also be comfortable disagreeing with your family members or medical providers if needed.
  • Do they live nearby? It is easier to advocate for medical care in person, so your agent should live within a reasonable distance of you. They may need to be present frequently over a long period, perhaps even weeks, or months.
  • Do they have good endurance? Choose an individual who is likely to outlive you and can withstand the stress of traveling frequently to your medical treatment center. For example, a health care agent who is undergoing cancer treatment may not be able to dedicate as much energy to your needs as somebody who is not immunocompromised. Consider an adult child instead of an elderly sibling or spouse.

Typically you do not want to name your health care provider or director of your nursing home (if applicable) as your power of attorney. Many state laws prohibit this as a conflict of interest.

Give Copies and Updates As Needed

It is easier to follow a medical directive when it can be easily accessed. However, you will need to replace copies every time you update your directive, so do not give away more copies than necessary. Give copies to your health care power of attorney and your attending physician. Tell close family members where you keep your copy at home.

There are many places where you can store your directive:

Make Your Medical Decisions Legally Compliant

It is important that your advance directive complies with your state laws, otherwise, it may not be effective. To make your health care instructions official, you may need to have the document witnessed, and in some states, signed by a notary. Here are common errors that prevent health care directives from becoming effective:

  • Health care proxies who do not meet legal qualifications
  • Witnesses who do not meet requirements and qualifications
  • Timing of when your health care agent’s authority begins
  • Using the right form for your state

Note: Not all states will honor advance directives from other states. If you anticipate receiving treatment in a state other than your own, you should file an advance directive in the secondary state.

Consult an attorney if you are unclear about how to meet state filing requirements.

Have Questions About Health Care Directives?

Whether you are looking to write your own health care directive or you’re helping a loved one put their health care wishes on paper, you should always know the law. You can also get a jumpstart on your own using our state-specific living will forms.

See also:

Estate planning solutions to fit your needs.

Written by:

Rebecca Rosefelt, Esq.

Contributing Author

Ally_Marshall_image

Reviewed by:

Ally Marshall, Esq.

Managing Editor