Patient Identification
Include full legal name, date of birth, and a brief identifier (address or medical record number) so providers can correctly match the directive to the patient record and avoid misattribution.
A clear living will documents care preferences, reduces family uncertainty, and guides clinicians during incapacity while aligning with HIPAA protections for health data.
Individuals planning for future incapacity and the clinicians and surrogates who must follow those instructions.
Keep copies with medical records and share them with your designated agent, primary care provider, and any treating hospital.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signer Authentication | Email link plus SMS code or ID verification for stronger attribution |
| Witnessing | Enable conditional witness fields when state law requires witnesses |
| Notarization | Support RON or in-person notarization where permitted |
| Storage | Encrypted cloud storage with role-based access controls |
Choose a platform that supports secure authentication, audit trails, and HIPAA protections when handling health directives.
Verify platform HIPAA status, ability to sign with witnesses or RON, and secure sharing with providers and agents.
Include full legal name, date of birth, and a brief identifier (address or medical record number) so providers can correctly match the directive to the patient record and avoid misattribution.
Designate a primary and alternate agent, provide contact details and relationship, and include a clear statement granting authority to make treatment decisions when you lack capacity.
State preferences for CPR, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, artificial nutrition and hydration, antibiotics, and other life-sustaining measures with clear yes/no choices and any conditional language.
Describe desired goals of care such as comfort-focused treatment, pain management, or life-prolonging measures to guide clinicians when specific interventions are not listed.
Indicate consent for organ donation, specify limitations if any, and confirm whether the directive supersedes or complements existing donor registration.
Provide signature, date, witness signatures, and notary acknowledgment where state law requires, and attach self-proving affidavit if desired to simplify later validation.
An elderly patient is admitted after a stroke with impaired communication
An individual moving to long-term care completes a living will and names an alternate agent
Complete the document while you have decision-making capacity, ideally before major surgery or diagnosis.
Review every 3–5 years or after major health changes.
Update after marriage, divorce, birth of children, or relocation to a different state.
Provide a copy to the admitting facility on hospital admission.
Ask providers to place a copy in the official medical chart upon receipt.
| Document | Living Will | Durable Power of Attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | treatment instructions | appoint decision-maker |
| Agent Authority | ||
| Typical Formalities | witness/notary rules | witness/notary rules |
| Revocable |
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day trial | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |