How to Write a Living Will

A living will is a legal document that allows you to exercise your right to decide what will happen to you at a time of critical illness or imminent death. If you want to choose in advance whether or not to be placed on life support, or what will happen to you if a coma becomes permanent, then a living will gives you the opportunity to state your wishes legally. A living will can also be used to appoint a friend or a family member as the person to make all important health care decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. The person who makes a living will is known as the testator.

It is important to make sure your living will is not liable to misinterpretation. All testators have the option of framing their own living will, or acquiring the services of a legal professional. What is important is that the testator's objectives are clear before the writing begins. Below we will offer some tips to consider when writing a living will.

Tips for Writing a Living Will:

1.    Carefully consider your wishes for the living will.
2.    If you want to authorize someone to make decisions on your behalf, discuss it thoroughly with that person first.
3.    Organize a witness for your living will.
4.    Write in a clear and straightforward manner.
5.    Check and double check your living will text to ensure that nothing is left open to interpretation.

Of course, these tips are not offered as legal advice. They are merely made in order to help you get organized in planning the living will, and thereby enable you to write in the clearest way possible.

After putting so much effort into collecting the relevant information and writing your living will, do not forget to proofread. Spelling and grammar errors could leave your living will open to misinterpretation, so check and then double check your writing.