Home Blog Advance Health Directive Drafting: Key Terms, Tips, Lawyer Help

Advance Health Directive Drafting: Key Terms, Tips, Lawyer Help

Jump to Section

Quick Facts — Advance Health Directive Lawyers

What is Advance Health Directive Drafting?

An advance health directive is a legal document that enables you to specify your medical treatment preferences before something happens, ensuring that if you are unable to communicate your wishes, your loved ones can refer to the document to know what medical decisions you’d want. It usually contains a living will and healthcare power of attorney.

If you need to draft an advance health directive, read the rest of this article. We’ll explore key terms it should include, what you should consider during the drafting process, and how a qualified lawyer can help you with it.

What are Key Terms to Include in an Advance Health Directive?

An advance health directive usually contains the following information and key terms:

  • Incapacity. This term means that you are unable to understand your treatments, risks, or other things related to your health condition.
  • Life-sustaining treatment. These are medical treatments that will artificially prolong your life, such as mechanical ventilation.
  • Withholding treatment. This states your decision to reject a life-sustaining treatment or intervention.
  • Palliative care. This section includes instructions for managing pain if your health condition can’t be cured.
  • Designated representative. If you aren’t able to make health decisions, this person will be authorized to make them on your behalf.
  • Authority. The designated representative will have certain authority, which must be outlined.
  • Quality of life. It’s common for advance health directives to include information about acceptable or unacceptable quality of life priorities.

What are Tips for Drafting an Advance Health Directive?

When drafting your advance health directive, you should consider state laws and other important information to protect your interests.

Refer to State Laws

Advance health directives must align with specific laws, which vary from one state to the other, such as regarding document execution requirements. This is why it’s crucial to be informed about what’s legally required. If you’re unsure of this, you should consult with a lawyer who can help you.

Specify Your Treatment Preferences

Avoid being vague when stating what you want regarding healthcare treatment. Consider life-sustaining treatment, ventilation, and artificial nutrition and hydration. Try to be as specific and comprehensive as possible so that you don’t leave anything uncertain.

Explain When Instructions Apply

It’s important to state when your specific preferences will apply, such as if you can’t make decisions anymore or if a specific medical circumstance has occurred.

Consider Your Personal Values

As the testator, you should take some time to think about your personal values and priorities. Consider what quality of life means to you and what’s most important for you. Think about how you view certain medical interventions, such as feeding tubes or ventilators, so that you align the document with your honest wishes.

Select the Right Designated Representative

Make sure you choose a person to act as your designated representative who is trustworthy and reliable. You want them to have a clear understanding of what your values and preferences are, so that they will act in your best interests.

How Does a Lawyer Draft an Advance Health Directive?

Hiring a lawyer to draft your advance health directive is advisable, especially if you’re unsure of any of its elements. A lawyer will conduct the following activities during the drafting of your legal document:

  • Discussing your healthcare and treatment values to ensure that the document is aligned with your preferences.
  • Identifying the state laws that govern the document and complying with them.
  • Explaining the distinction between documents such as your living will and healthcare power of attorney, and ensuring consistency across documents.
  • Helping you to document your preferences so that your advance health directive is specific and detailed.
  • Identifying conditions or circumstances in which specific treatment or healthcare initiatives should be applied.
  • Drafting clear, straightforward clauses that avoid ambiguous language. This prevents misinterpretation and disputes.
  • Clarifying the healthcare agent’s authority and responsibilities. They’ll also help you identify their limitations for clarity.
  • Executing the legal document properly. This includes signatures, witnessing, and notarizing the document, depending on what legal formalities are required.
  • Finalizing your legal document so that you feel confident about its terms and clauses.
  • Reviewing your advance health directive, if you’ve already drafted it.

Where to Find a Lawyer for Advance Health Directive Drafting

If you’d like to hire a lawyer to draft your advance health directive, you don’t have to take lots of time to find one or call traditional law firms in your area. By using an online legal platform such as ContractsCounsel, you can connect with reputable, experienced lawyers from the comfort of your home.

ContractsCounsel is one of the largest online legal marketplaces that gives clients access to a curated network of lawyers. All lawyers have been vetted on the platform.

If you want to ask a lawyer on the platform to draft your advance health directive, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Go to the ContractsCounsel marketplace.
  2. Select ‘One-time project’ and ‘Create or update contract.’ If you need a lawyer to review your agreement, you’ll select ‘Contract review’ instead.
  3. Post your project, which is free to do.
  4. Include information about what you need so you can connect with the most suitable lawyers.
  5. Wait for bids. Lawyers directly on the platform will send you multiple bids to work on your project.
  6. Review the platform’s lawyer data. This includes the lawyers' location, credentials, years of experience, and client ratings for previously completed projects on the platform.
  7. Select a lawyer who meets your requirements and hire them to draft your advance health directive for a flat fee.

ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.


Need help with an Advance Health Directive?

Create a free project posting
Clients Rate Lawyers 4.9 Stars
based on 24,236 reviews

Meet some of our Lawyers

Philips V. on ContractsCounsel
View Philips
4.8 (14)
Member Since:
August 4, 2026

Philips V.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Dallas, Texas
12 Yrs Experience
Licensed in MI, TX
Wayne State University Law School

General Counsel for Construction and Related Legal Services - Although Phil specializes in construction-related law, Phil’s law practice areas include commercial, construction, contract, criminal, employment, ERISA, energy, environmental, OSHA, government, immigration, insurance, labor (EEOC, FLSA, FMLA, COBRA, etc.), personal injury, product liability, real estate, surety, utilities, and workers’ compensation, amongst others.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Excellent work, and very prompt responses. Thorough assessments. Great for Advanced Directive review."

Anand A. on ContractsCounsel
View Anand
5.0 (39)
Member Since:
July 17, 2022

Anand A.

Counsel
Free Consultation
Philadelphia, PA
12 Yrs Experience
Licensed in NJ, PA
Rutgers University School of Law

Anand is an entrepreneur and attorney with a wide-ranging background. In his legal capacity, Anand has represented parties in (i) commercial finance, (ii) corporate, and (iii) real estate matters throughout the country, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Arizona, and Georgia. He is well-versed in business formation and management, reviewing and negotiating contracts, advising clients on financing strategy, and various other arenas in which individuals and businesses commonly find themselves. As an entrepreneur, Anand is involved in the hospitality industry and commercial real estate. His approach to the legal practice is to treat clients fairly and provide the highest quality representation possible. Anand received his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law in 2013 and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Pace University, Lubin School of Business in 2007.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Anand was a pleasure to work with! He was very thorough and professional."

Ryan W. on ContractsCounsel
View Ryan
5.0 (11)
Member Since:
June 8, 2021

Ryan W.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Mechanicsburg, PA
16 Yrs Experience
Licensed in PA
Widener University Commonwealth School of Law

Ryan A. Webber focuses his practice primarily on Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Life Care Planning. His clients range from young families concerned about protecting their family as well as aging individuals. Ryan provides Estate Planning, Trust Planning, Special Needs Planning, Public Benefit Planning, and Estate Administration. Ryan focuses on the holistic approach to the practice of elder law which seeks to ensure clients are receiving good care when needed and that they preserve enough assets with which to pay for such care. Many families and individuals also come to Ryan for preparation of their wills, power of attorney, and healthcare guidance documents. Additionally, Ryan assists small and medium sized business owners with their organizational and planning needs. From starting or winding down a business, Ryan provides quality business advice.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
4.7

"Ryan helped me better understand my contract (he explained the legalese) and potential issues relating to it. He noticed things I wouldn't have noticed."

Daehoon P. on ContractsCounsel
View Daehoon
4.8 (232)
Member Since:
November 26, 2021

Daehoon P.

Corporate & M&A | Venture Capital, Private Equity & Web3 Counsel | Real Estate Transactions
Free Consultation
New York, NY
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in NY
American University Washington College of Law

Corporate, M&A & Securities Lawyer | Managing Attorney, DP Counsel PLLC Practice Areas: Business Formation | Commercial Contracts | Contract Drafting & Review | Mergers & Acquisitions | Venture Capital | Securities Offerings | Franchise Law | Employment & Equity Compensation | Intellectual Property | Cross-Border Transactions About/Bio: I represent companies, investors, and fund sponsors in corporate transactions, commercial contracting, and private securities matters, from entity formation and early-stage financings to acquisitions, exits, and ongoing strategic counsel. As Managing Attorney of DP Counsel PLLC, I help clients structure transactions clearly, allocate risk thoughtfully, and move deals forward with documentation that is practical, enforceable, and aligned with business objectives. My practice includes both day-to-day commercial matters and more complex transactional work, including venture financings, private offerings, M&A deals, fund-related documents, and cross-border structuring. What I Do: Corporate & Commercial • Entity formation and structuring for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships • Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and governance documents • Commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation • Vendor, distribution, manufacturing, SaaS, and licensing agreements • Employment, consulting, confidentiality, and equity compensation agreements • Outside general counsel support for growing companies Securities & Private Capital • Private offerings under Regulation D and Regulation S • Private placement memoranda, subscription agreements, and investor documents • SAFE, convertible note, and priced equity financings • Venture capital and private fund formation matters • Fund governing documents and offering document packages • Securities law analysis for private capital raising transactions Mergers & Acquisitions • Letters of intent and term sheets • Stock purchase, asset purchase, and merger agreements • Due diligence coordination and transaction support • Disclosure schedules, closing documents, and post-closing matters • Earnouts, rollover equity, indemnity structures, and related deal terms • HSR, CFIUS, and related regulatory issue spotting for qualifying transactions Digital Assets & Emerging Technologies • Federal-law digital asset and token securities analysis • Entity structuring for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Digital asset fund and operating structures • AML/KYC documentation support and regulatory issue spotting Franchising • Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) • Franchise agreements • Master franchise and area development agreements • Franchise structuring and registration coordination Real Estate Transactions • Commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions • Real estate joint ventures and syndications • Commercial lease drafting and negotiation • Real estate investment structures and related offering documents Cross-Border & International • U.S. market entry and entity structuring for international clients • Delaware and multi-entity holding structures • Cross-border transaction planning and documentation • Coordination with foreign counsel and tax advisors on cross-border matters Why Clients Hire Me: • Big-law-level drafting with boutique responsiveness • Practical, business-focused advice grounded in execution reality • Clear scoping and transparent fee arrangements • Experience across financings, acquisitions, fund formations, and cross-border transactions Typical Projects: • Contract drafting and negotiation • Entity formation and governance packages • Private offering document suites • Venture financing documentation • M&A transactions from LOI through closing • Fractional or outside general counsel support Industries Technology | SaaS | FinTech | Digital Assets | E-commerce | Healthcare | Real Estate | Food & Beverage | Professional Services

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
4.7

"I hired Daehoon to review and redline a founder separation and IP purchase agreement. As a solo technical founder with no in-house counsel, I needed someone who could work independently, and he did. He delivered on the promised date with a clear memo, redlines, a clean draft, and the closing documents. His structure was substantially better than mine, with stronger payment and escrow protections, and he flagged legal risks I had missed. He stayed within the flat fee. I would hire him again."

Sam W. on ContractsCounsel
View Sam
Member Since:
July 30, 2021

Sam W.

Entertainment attorney
Free Consultation
Los Angeles
12 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

Sam Widdoes has practiced law in California since 2014. He began his career as a litigation associate at a boutique firm in Los Angeles, and founded a production development company with a partner in 2017. Since then, Sam has served as the head of business and legal affairs at District 33, while working hand-in-hand with writers, directors and actors to develop, pitch and produce scripted and unscripted content. In that role, Sam produced the documentary series BLACKBALLED for Quibi/Roku, and will produce the upcoming documentary feature AS WE SPEAK directed by J.M. Harper for Paramount+/MTV, and the doc series THE BLACK BOX for MRC and XYZ Films. He is also the executive producer of an upcoming limited series with CBS TV starring Judith Light and Noah Wyle called SHADOWS IN THE VINEYARD, and a feature comedy for Spyglass Entertainment, among other projects. In early 2022, Sam opened WIDDOES LAW, APC, after recognizing a need for experienced legal services in the unscripted and documentary spaces. Since opening his own practice, Sam has advised producers, editors, directors and rights holders on a variety of agreement negotiations, including option purchase contracts, collaboration agreements and documentary producer deals. Sam also serves as production counsel for several documentary features, series and short films, and will draft, negotiate and advise on all legal aspects of the projects, including financing, production and distribution. Sam earned his Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 2013, where he graduated on the Dean's List and as a member of the Society of Trial Advocates. He holds a BA in journalism from the University of Richmond, and sits on the Board of Trustees at Turning Point School in Culver City, California. Sam is passionate about quality storytelling, and supporting those with the vision and drive to share their stories with the world.

Robert D. on ContractsCounsel
View Robert
Member Since:
August 3, 2021

Robert D.

Solo Practitioner
Free Consultation
Cincinnati, OH
32 Yrs Experience
Licensed in DC, NY
University North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law

Robert is a skilled corporate lawyer, licensed to practice law in NY and DC. He has over 25 years of experience, with a focus on Venture Capital, Private Equity, M&A, General Business Law and Company Formation. Robert brings business side experience to every legal transactions. This allows him to shape a client's legal needs around its business goals to drive success in an effective and efficient manner.

Find the best lawyer for your project

Browse Lawyers Now

Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.

View Trustpilot Review

Need help with an Advance Health Directive?

Create a free project posting
Clients Rate Lawyers 4.9 Stars
based on 24,236 reviews
CONTRACT LAWYERS BY TOP CITIES
See All Estate Planning Lawyers
ADVANCE HEALTH DIRECTIVE DRAFTING LAWYERS BY CITY
See All Advance Health Directive Drafting Lawyers

Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.

View Trustpilot Review

I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.

View Trustpilot Review

I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.

View Trustpilot Review

Need help with an Advance Health Directive?

Create a free project posting
Clients Rate Lawyers 4.9 Stars
based on 24,236 reviews

Want to speak to someone?

Get in touch below and we will schedule a time to connect!

Request a call

Find lawyers and attorneys by city