Statutory Power of Attorney and Medical Treatment Forms

There are a number of legal mechanisms that allow somebody to act on your behalf if you are unable to do so. The two main concerns here are giving somebody the legal right to manage your property and to make medical decisions for you while you are incapacitated.

This area is governed by state laws, which vary from state to state. Transferring power over your property is generally accomplished by a durable power of attorney.

With medical decision-making, things are considerably more complicated. For example, a state may offer the option of a health care power of attorney, a living will, some other form of health care advance directive or proxy (e.g., non-hospital do not resuscitate orders), or a combination of all of the above.

Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia have laws that authorize both living wills and the appointment of a health care agent. Two states, Alabama and Alaska, have legislation authorizing only living wills. Three states, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York, have legislation authorizing only the appointment of a health care agent.

If you are interested in your state's proxy forms, follow the links provided below. As you look at the forms, keep in mind that some state forms are merely a guideline and may allow you to modify them to suit your individual needs. Other forms may have to be completed as is.

• Alabama Advance Directive for Health Care
• Alaska Living Will
• Alaska Power of Attorney Form
• Arizona Health Care Directive and Living Will
• Arkansas Declaration Relating to the Use of Life-Sustaining Treatment
• Arkansas Statutory Power of Attorney Form
• California Advance Health Care Directive and Living Will
• Colorado Declaration as to Medical or Surgical Treatment
• Colorado Statutory Power of Attorney for Property Form
• Connecticut Appointment of Health Care Agent Form
• Connecticut Living Will
• Connecticut Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Connecticut Power of Attorney (Short Form)
• Delaware Advance Health Care Directive
• District of Columbia Power of Attorney for Health Care Form
• District of Columbia Statutory Power of Attorney Form
• Florida Designation of Health Care Surrogate Form
• Florida Living Will
• Georgia Power of Attorney Form
• Hawaii Advance Health Care Directive
• Idaho Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Form
• Idaho Living Will
• Illinois DNR Advance Directive
• Illinois Living Will
• Illinois Power of Attorney for Health Care (Short Form)
• Indiana Living Will
• Indiana Request for Life Prolonging Procedures Form
• Iowa Living Will
• Iowa Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Kansas Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Kentucky Living Will
• Maine Advance Health Care Directive
• Maryland Health Care Decision Making Forms
• Michigan Do-Not-Resuscitate Order with Physician Signature
• Michigan Do-Not-Resuscitate Order without Physician Signature
• Michigan Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Michigan Living Will
• Minnesota Health Care Directive Form
• Minnesota Living Will
• Mississippi Health Care Directive Form
• Missouri Life Support Declaration
• Montana Power of Attorney Form
• Nebraska Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Nebraska Power of Attorney (Short Form)
• Nevada Appointment of Health Care Agent Form
• Nevada Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• New Hampshire Living Will
• New Hampshire Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• New Jersey Advanced Directive for Health Care Form
• New Mexico Health Care Directive Form
• New Mexico Power of Attorney Form
• New York Durable Power of Attorney Form
• New York Health Care Proxy Form
• New York Living Will
• New York Nondurable Power of Attorney Form
• North Carolina Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• North Carolina Power of Attorney (Short Form)
• North Dakota Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Ohio Living Will
• Ohio Health Care Power of Attorney
• Oklahoma Power of Attorney Form
• Oregon Health Care Directive Form
• Oregon Living Will
• Pennsylvania Living Will
• Rhode Island Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Rhode Island Power of Attorney (Short Form)
• South Carolina Living Will
• South Carolina Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• South Dakota Living Will
• Tennessee Living Will
• Texas Advance Medical Directive Form
• Texas Medical Power of Attorney Form
• Texas Power of Attorney Form
• Utah Health Care Directive Form
• Utah Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Vermont Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Vermont Power of Attorney Form
• Veterans Affairs Advanced Medical Directive Form
• Virginia Medical Directive Form
• Washington Health Care Directive Form
• West Virginia Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Wisconsin Health Care Power of Attorney Form
• Wisconsin Power of Attorney Form
• Wyoming Living Will

Some files are in rich text format (RTF) that is suitable for use with most word processing programs used in the Windows environment.

Other files are in Adobe portable document format (PDF), which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is available, without charge, at the Adobe website.

For more information, see our discussion of power of attorney issues.