If you prefer not to spend the money for a professional to handle this document, there are also many online web sites that offer living wills that you can download for your specific state. The cost will vary depending upon the complexity of your state laws. Keep in mind that while most states do recognize living wills, if your state is one of the few that doesn’t, it is still beneficial to have your wishes recorded anyway, as this may still be able to influence how your medical case is treated in the future.

You can find some sample living will documents at FindLaw.com at no charge. You can also ask your health care provider or local hospital for some free forms you can use. Or, you can access state specific forms online for somewhere between $20 and $40 that you can print and fill in yourself. Another option is to spend between $45 and $75 to order a form to be prepared with your specific wishes and for a hard copy to be mailed to you for your records.

The cost for a do-it-yourself living will can range from no charge for writing your own living will using a sample form on up to $75 to order a document personalized with your own details.

A Final Note

Remember that living wills have nothing to do with your personal property, but they are an important vehicle to ensure that your health preferences are carried out in the event you are unable to speak for yourself.

Therefore, you should plan to circulate your advanced directive documents to your family and health care providers so everyone will know that they exist and what you want to happen in an emergency situation.

You may also want to consider filing these forms with a document registry, such as the US Living Will Registry, which will provide you with a card to keep in your wallet so that in a crisis, the health care provider treating you can call to access copies of your documents. Depending on what state you live in, this can be anywhere from free to register on up to $125 for lifetime registration of your personal advance directive information. Even if you have to pay for this service, it is a small investment for the peace of mind it can bring to you and your family.

The cost to register your living will and health care proxy forms with a document registry service ranges from free on up to a $125 one-time fee.