MAKE YOUR FREE Maryland Advance Directive

What is a Maryland Advance Directive?
The person making an Advance Directive is known as the "principal," and the people or organizations receiving authority to carry out the principal's wishes are called "agents." Suitable for Maryland residents, this Advance Directive is made for use in Prince George's County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, and in every other county or municipality in the state. Any Maryland Advance Directive from Rocket Lawyer can be personalized for your unique circumstances. As a result of this document, your healthcare providers will have a record of your preferences, and your representative will be able to provide confirmation that they have been given the authority to act in your interest.
When to use a Maryland Advance Directive:
- You're making sure your loved ones aren't put in the position of making important end-of-life healthcare decisions for you.
- You're about to draft a complete estate plan, and want to make sure life-sustaining treatments are covered.
Sample Maryland Advance Directive
The terms in your document will update based on the information you provide

LIVING WILL
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
DECLARATION
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
(LIVING WILL)
(HEALTH CARE PROXY)
(LIVING WILL AND HEALTH CARE PROXY)
DECLARATION
and
HEALTH CARE PROXY
LIVING WILL
and
MEDICAL DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
DOCUMENT CONCERNING WITHHOLDING OR WITHDRAWAL OF LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS
HEALTH CARE INSTRUCTIONS
DOCUMENT CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF A HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE FOR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS
OF
DECLARATION
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
LIVING WILL
and
DESIGNATION OF HEALTH CARE SURROGATE
DECLARATION
and
STATUTORY FORM
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE
A LIVING WILL
A Directive to Withhold or to Provide Treatment
and
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE
LIVING WILL DECLARATION
and
COMBINED DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENT
DECLARATION
and
DESIGNATION OF ADVOCATE FOR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
DECLARATION OF A DESIRE FOR A NATURAL DEATH
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
and
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE
ADVANCE HEALTH-CARE DIRECTIVE
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE
DECLARATION
HEALTH CARE PROXY OF
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE OF
LIVING WILL DECLARATION
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
ADVANCE CARE PLAN
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
LIVING WILL
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE
and
MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY
HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
and
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE
DECLARATION TO PHYSICIANS
(WISCONSIN LIVING WILL)
and
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
LIVING WILL
AND
MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY
I. LIVING WILLI. ADVANCE DIRECTIVEI. DECLARATIONI. DOCUMENT CONCERNING WITHHOLDING OR WITHDRAWAL OF LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMSI. A LIVING WILL - A DIRECTIVE TO WITHHOLD OR TO PROVIDE TREATMENTI. LIVING WILL DECLARATIONI. HEALTH CARE INSTRUCTIONSI. DECLARATION OF A DESIRE FOR A NATURAL DEATHI. HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVEI. DECLARATION TO PHYSICIANS (WISCONSIN LIVING WILL)Declaration made this ______ day of ____________________, _____. I, , willfully and voluntarily make known my desire that my dying not be artificially prolonged under the circumstances set forth below, and I do hereby declare:This is an important legal document known as an advance directive. It is designed to help you communicate your wishes about medical treatment at some time in the future when you are unable to make your wishes known because of illness or injury. These wishes are usually based on personal values. In particular, you may want to consider what burdens or hardships of treatment you would be willing to accept for a particular amount of benefit obtained if you were seriously ill. You are encouraged to discuss your values and wishes with your family or chosen spokesperson, as well as your physician. Your physician, other health care providers, or medical institution may provide you with various resources to assist you in completing your advance directive. Brief definitions are listed below and may aid you in your discussions and advance planning. Initial the treatment choices that best reflect your personal preferences. Provide a copy of your directive to your physician, usual hospital, and family or spokesperson. Consider a periodic review of this document. By periodic review, you can best assure that the directive reflects your preferences. I, , being of sound mind, willfully and voluntarily make this Declaration for my care to be followed if I become unable to express my desires directly as a consequence of physical or mental incapacity or disability, regardless of whether this is caused by illness, accident, or other injury. This document is intended to direct all persons who are involved with my care including my relatives, physicians or personal representatives which I have appointed, or which hereafter may be appointed by the courts.
__________ (initial) I have a terminal condition
__________ (initial) or I have an irreversible condition
__________ (initial) or I am in a persistent vegetative state
AND if my attending or treating physician and another consulting physician have determined that there is no reasonable medical probability of my recovery from such condition, I direct that life-prolonging procedures be withheld or withdrawn when the application of such procedures would serve only to prolong artificially the process of dying, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care or to alleviate pain.
TO RECEIVE artificially administered nutrition and hydration (food and fluids).NOT TO RECEIVE artificially administered nutrition and hydration (food and fluids) procedures, except as deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care.However, if at any point it is determined that it is not possible that the fetus could develop to the point of live birth with continued application of life-prolonging procedures, it is my preference that this document be given effect at that point. If life-prolonging procedures will be physically harmful or unreasonably painful to me in a manner that cannot be alleviated by medication, I request that my desire for personal physical comfort be given consideration in determining whether this document shall be effective if I am pregnant. I have discussed these decisions with my physician and have also completed a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) from that contains directions that may be more specific than, but are compatible with, this Directive. I hereby approve of those orders and incorporate them herein as if fully set forth. I have not completed a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) form. If a POST form is later signed by my physician, then this living will shall be deemed modified to be compatible with the terms of the POST form.
I designate , who may be reached at , as my Primary Physician.
including but NOT including . unless I initial the following line:
(YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS LIVING WILL AND DESIGNATION
(YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS DESIGNATION
IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO WITNESSES)
I affirm that this Living Will and Designation is not being made as a condition of treatment or admission to a health care facility. I have read and understand the contents of this document and the effect of this grant of powers to my . I am emotionally and mentally competent to make this declaration.
I affirm that this Designation is not being made as a condition of treatment or admission to a health care facility. I have read and understand the contents of this document and the effect of this grant of powers to my . I am emotionally and mentally competent to make this declaration.
I designate , who may be reached at , as my Primary Physician.
We, the undersigned witnesses, state that in the presence of each other and we have witnessed the signing of this living will by . Further, at least one of us is not a spouse or blood relative of .
We, the undersigned witnesses, state that in the presence of each other and we have witnessed the signing of this Living Will and Designation by . I have not been appointed as 's or Alternate . At least one witness is not 's spouse nor blood relative.
I have not been appointed as 's or Alternate . At least one witness is not 's spouse nor blood relative.
Date: ______________________________
Date: ______________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this _____ day of ____________________, ______ by , who is personally known to me or who has produced ________________________________ as identification.
Before me, a Notary Public (or justice of the peace) in and for said county, personally appeared the above named , ________________________________, and ________________________________, who acknowledged that they did sign the foregoing instrument, and that the same is their free act and deed. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name at ________________________________, this _____ day of ____________________, ______.
This instrument was acknowledged before me on this _____ day of ____________________, ______ by .
On this _____ day of ____________________, ______, before me personally appeared , to me known to be the person described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged that he/she executed same as his/her free act and deed.
On this _____ day of ____________________, ______, before me, ________________________________, personally appeared , known to me (or satisfactorily proven) to be the person whose name is subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged that he/she executed the same as for the purposes therein contained.
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and official seal.
_________________________________
My commission expires _____________
You should sign this document in the presence of a notary public. You should sign this document in the presence of two witnesses who then sign the document in your presence and in each other's presence. You should sign this document in the presence of a notary public and two witnesses who then sign the document in your presence and in each other's presence.(your Agent)
You should discuss the document and your wishes with any person you want to designate as an Agent before doing so to assure they agree to act on your behalf.
Maryland Advance Directive FAQs
-
How do I write an Advance Directive in Maryland?
It's very simple to record your medical preferences with a free Maryland Advance Directive template from Rocket Lawyer:
- Make your Advance Directive - Answer a few general questions, and we will do the rest
- Send or share - Look over the document with your healthcare agent or ask a legal question
- Sign and make it legal - Optional or not, notarization and witnesses are a best practice
This solution is, in most cases, notably less time-consuming than working with a traditional provider. If needed, you may start this Advance Directive on behalf of your spouse or another relative, and then help that person sign it when ready. Keep in mind that for this document to be valid, the principal must be mentally competent when they sign. In the event that the principal has already been declared legally incompetent, a court-appointed conservatorship could be required. When managing such a scenario, it's best to connect with an attorney .
-
Do I need to write an Advance Directive?
Everyone over 18 years old should have an Advance Healthcare Directive (both a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will) in place. Although it's painful to think about, there might come a day when you are no longer able to make medical decisions on your own. Here are a few common occasions in which you may consider it helpful to make or update your Advance Directive:
- You've been diagnosed with a terminal condition
- You are planning to undergo a medical procedure that requires anesthesia
- You have plans to live in a community care facility
- You are aging or have declining health
Whether your Maryland Advance Directive has been created as a result of a recent change in your health or as part of a forward-looking plan, notarization and/or witnesses will often help to protect your document if its authority is disputed by a third party.
-
Do I need to hire a lawyer to review my Advance Directive in Maryland?
Making an Advance Directive is generally straightforward, but you or your agent(s) could still need advice. Getting a legal professional to check your Maryland Advance Directive may be time-intensive and fairly expensive. A more cost-effective route would be to go through attorney services at Rocket Lawyer. When you become a Premium member, you can get your documents evaluated by an experienced attorney. As always, you can rest assured that Rocket Lawyer is here for you.
-
How much might I usually pay for a lawyer to help me make an Advance Directive in Maryland?
The cost of meeting and hiring a legal provider to write an Advance Directive can total between $200 and $1,000. Rocket Lawyer is not a run-of-the-mill Advance Directive template website. With our service, anyone under a Premium membership can take advantage of up to 40% in savings when hiring an attorney from our Rocket Lawyer attorney network.
-
What should I do after making a Maryland Advance Directive?
With a Rocket Lawyer membership, you can edit it, download it as a PDF document or Word file, or print it. To make the Maryland Medical Directive into a legally binding document, you need to sign it. Your agent(s), care providers, and other impacted parties should get copies of the final document.
-
Does an Advance Directive need to be notarized or witnessed in Maryland?
The guidelines will be different in each state; however, in Maryland, your document needs two witnesses. At least one of the witnesses should be someone who is not your heir or beneficiary. As a general rule, your witnesses must not be under the age of 18, and none of them should also be named as your healthcare agent.