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Virginia Living Will

A Virginia Living Will is a legal document that lays out your preferences related to health care, such as your refusal or acceptance of a specific medical treatment or procedure, in addition to the optional appointment of a trusted healthcare decision maker or "agent."

The individual making a Living Will is called the "principal," and the person or entity obtaining permission to carry out the principal's wishes is called the "agent." Suitable for Virginia residents, this Living Will is made for use in Virginia Beach County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, and in all other parts of the state. Any Virginia Living Will form from Rocket Lawyer can be edited for your particular situation. With this official legal document on hand, your medical institutions will have a record of your preferences, and your representative will be able to provide confirmation that they have the authority to act in your interest when you are not able.

It is quick and easy to set forth your medical wishes with a free Virginia Living Will template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the document - Provide a few general details, and we will do the rest
2. Send or share it - Look over it with your healthcare agent or ask a lawyer
3. Sign it and make it legal - Required or not, witnesses/notarization are recommended

This solution, in many cases, would be much less time-consuming than finding and hiring a conventional provider. If necessary, you can start this Living Will on behalf of your spouse or another relative, and then have that person sign it when ready. Please remember that for this document to be accepted as valid, the principal must be an adult who is mentally competent when they sign. In the event that the principal is already unable to make their own decisions, a conservatorship could be required. When dealing with such a situation, it's important for you to speak with an attorney.

Every adult should have a Living Will. Even though it is difficult to acknowledge, there could come a time when you are no longer able to make important decisions on your own. Here are a few typical occasions in which it might be helpful to make or update your Living Will:

• You are managing a terminal illness
• You expect to be hospitalized for surgery
• You currently reside in or are planning to move into a care facility
• You are aging or have declining health

Regardless of whether this Virginia Living Will is being made in response to a change in your health or as part of a forward-looking plan, notarization and witnesses are highly recommended for protecting your document if a third party challenges its lawfulness.

Making a Living Will is generally easy to do; however, you might still have legal questions. Hiring a lawyer to double-check your Living Will could take a long time if you do it by yourself. An easier approach would be through Rocket Lawyer attorney services. Rocket Lawyer Premium members can ask for feedback from an experienced lawyer or send other questions. As always, you can live confidently knowing that Rocket Lawyer is by your side.

The fees associated with meeting and hiring your average legal provider to draft a Living Will can total anywhere from $200 to $1,000, depending on where you are. When you use Rocket Lawyer, you aren't just filling out a Living Will template. In case you ever need assistance from a lawyer, your Premium membership offers up to a 40% discount when you hire an On Call attorney.

With a Premium membership, you will be able to edit it, save it in PDF format or as a Word file, and/or print it. In order to finish up your Virginia Living Will form, it will need to be signed. Be sure that your agent(s) and care providers get a copy of your fully executed document.

The guidelines for Living Wills are different by state; however, in Virginia, your document must be signed by two witnesses. As a general standard, your witnesses should be over 18 years old, and none should also be your agent.

See legal references for a Living Will in Virginia: § 54.1-2983