Will.com / Healthcare directive / Pennsylvania

PA · Living Will / Advance Directive

Make your Pennsylvania healthcare directive.

Tell doctors what care you want and name someone to speak for you if you can't. Document generation isn’t currently available in Pennsylvania while we review its rules for online legal document services. The signing requirements below still apply.

Document generation isn’t currently available in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania healthcare directive requirements

Witnesses required2 witnesses
NotarizationNot required
Official formLiving Will / Advance Directive

How it works

  1. 1

    Answer a few questions

    About your care preferences and who you want making decisions.

  2. 2

    Download your healthcare directive

    A complete, personalized document, formatted for Pennsylvania.

  3. 3

    Sign and share

    Sign in front of 2 adult witnesses. Give a copy to your healthcare agent and your doctor.

What governs a Pennsylvania directive

Pennsylvania's healthcare-directive statute is at 20 Pa.C.S. §5421 et seq. The official form is the Living Will / Advance Directive. Your directive is valid the moment it's signed under your state's witness and notary rules above; it only takes effect if your physician determines you can't make or communicate decisions yourself.

Who can witness your Pennsylvania directive

A witness may not be the individual who signed this document on behalf of and at the direction of the principal (20 Pa.C.S. §§5442, 5452, subsec. (c)(1) of each). Neither 20 Pa.C.S. §5442 nor 20 Pa.C.S. §5452 disqualifies the health care agent, an heir, or a health care provider from serving as a witness; a health care provider or its agent that provides health care services to the principal may not sign the document on the principal's behalf (subsec. (c)(2) of each). Disinterested witnesses remain best practice.

Two tiers, both private

Free: nothing leaves your browser. No account, no storage. Clear your answers whenever.

Subscription ($29/year): zero-knowledge encrypted storage. We store the ciphertext; only you hold the key. Edit and update as life changes.

Document generation isn’t currently available in Pennsylvania.

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