How to Do a Living Will in Washington

Having a living will ensures your wishes will be honored.

A living will ensures that your medical wishes are honored on your deathbed. A living will instructs whether medical intervention should be administered or not when it would be necessary for someone to continue to live. At that difficult time, it would be very stressful to have to make those types of decisions. A living will takes those decisions out of the hands of those close to the dying person. Living wills in Washington state are a simple form that can even be registered for easy access.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet
• Two witnesses

Instructions

1. Browse on your computer using the Internet to access Help Abolish Legal Tyranny (HALT), a do-it-yourself website for living wills See Reference 1).

2. Click on the Site Map button in the middle of the upper navigation bar.

3. Click on Living Wills link under Legal Information Clearinghouse.

4. Select Washington under the "Select a State" pull-down menu. This will open a pdf form to be filled out, creating your living will.

5. Fill out all data required in the living will: dates, names, wishes and desires.

6. Sign and date the living will and have your witnesses sign and date as well.

7. Complete the Washington Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare by filling in necessary data.

8. Sign and date the Washington Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and have your witnesses sign and date it as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Register your living will with the Washington State Department of Health Living Will Registry to ensure that your wishes are in a safe place and can be easily accessed.

References

• Halt: Simple Affordable Accountable Justice For All
• The Washington State Living Will Registry