Make your Free Michigan Advance Directive

A Michigan Advance Directive is a legal document that sets forth your preferences related to medical care, such as your request for or refusal of a medical treatment, and/or the appointment of a trusted healthcare agent.

The person making an Advance Directive is called the "principal," and the individual or entity receiving authority to carry out the principal's wishes is known as the "agent." Designed for residents of Michigan, this free Advance Directive can be used in Genesee County, Washtenaw County, Kent County, and in all other parts of the state. Any Michigan Advance Directive from Rocket Lawyer can be fully personalized for your specific scenario. This essential document provides proof of your preferences to medical providers, and it will certify that your selected agent has the authority to make choices for you.

It is quick and easy to document your medical preferences with a free Michigan Advance Directive template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the document - Answer a few simple questions, and we will do the rest
2. Send or share it - Review it with your healthcare agent(s) or get legal advice
3. Sign it and make it legal - Required or not, notarization/witnesses are a best practice

This method is, in most cases, notably less time-consuming than finding and hiring your average provider. If needed, you can start this Advance Directive on behalf of an elderly parent, a spouse, or another relative, and then have that person sign after you've drafted it. Keep in mind that for an Advance Directive to be legally valid, the principal must be a mentally competent adult when they sign. If the principal has already been declared legally incompetent, a court-appointed conservatorship might be required. When facing this scenario, it would be a good idea for you to speak with an attorney.

Anyone who is over 18 years old should have an Advance Healthcare Directive (both a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will). Although it may be unpleasant to acknowledge, there might come a day when you are not able to make important decisions on your own. Common occasions in which you might find it useful to make or update your Advance Directive include:

• You plan to be in the hospital for a medical procedure
• You are getting older or have declining health
• You've been given a terminal diagnosis
• You currently reside in or are preparing to move into a care facility

Whether your Michigan Advance Directive has been made in response to a recent change in your health or as part of a long-term plan, witnesses and notarization often help to protect your document if its credibility is challenged by a third party.

Making an Advance Directive is normally simple, but you may need advice. Getting a legal professional to review your document can take a lot of time if you try to do it alone. Another approach would be via the Rocket Lawyer On Call^® network. Rocket Lawyer Premium members can ask for guidance from an experienced lawyer or ask other legal questions. As always, you can live confidently with Rocket Lawyer by your side.

The fees associated with finding and working with an attorney to write an Advance Directive could total between two hundred and one thousand dollars, depending on where you are located. When you use Rocket Lawyer, you aren't just filling out an Advance Directive template. If you ever need support from a lawyer, your Premium membership provides up to 40% in savings when you hire an attorney.

As a Rocket Lawyer member, you will be able to make edits, download it as a Word or PDF document, and print it. In order to turn your Michigan Medical Directive into a truly legal document, you need to sign it. You will need to send a final copy of your fully signed document to your agent(s) and care providers.

The requirements and restrictions governing Advance Directives will be different by state; however, in Michigan, neither witnesses nor notarization are legally required for Living Will directives. That said, both are recommended to help reinforce the legitimacy of your document. If you are making a "Designation of Patient Advocate for Health Care" (also known as a Healthcare Power of Attorney), then two witnesses are required. As a general standard, your witnesses will need to be at least 18 years old, and none of them should also be your agent.

See legal references for an Advance Directive in Michigan: § 700.5506 to 5507