Free Alabama Advance Directive & Living Will
Build a complete Alabama advance directive in minutes — free, no account. Name a health care agent, record your end-of-life wishes, and download a ready-to-sign PDF with Alabama's correct signing requirements.
A free directive — not legal or medical advice.
This builds a Alabama advance directive: it names a health care agent to decide for you and records your end-of-life wishes. It works only when you sign it as Alabama requires (see the signing steps). RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Your health care agent
The person who will make medical decisions if you can't speak for yourself — the most important choice.
Note: in Alabama, your agent cannot be The health care proxy must be a competent adult. The attending physician and treating health care provider should not serve. The proxy cannot be a witness to the same document.
Your end-of-life wishes
If you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious with no recovery expected.
Note: Alabama law may suspend these wishes during pregnancy.
Other wishes (optional)
Before you sign — Alabama notes
This directive has NO legal effect until you sign it. To make it valid in Alabama: Any competent adult (19+) signs the Advance Directive for Health Care in the presence of two qualifying witnesses (each 19+) who are not the proxy, not relatives by blood/adoption/marriage, not heirs, and not financially responsible for the declarant's care. No notarization required. The single document can appoint a health care proxy and state living-will wishes. Pregnancy may suspend the life-sustaining-treatment instructions.
Witness rules: a witness must NOT be Both witnesses must be at least 19. A witness may NOT be: the person who signed the directive on the declarant's behalf at their direction; the appointed health care proxy; related to the declarant by blood, adoption, or marriage; entitled to any portion of the declarant's estate by intestate succession or under a will/codicil; or directly financially responsible for the declarant's medical care. Notarization is not required.
Your agent cannot be The health care proxy must be a competent adult. The attending physician and treating health care provider should not serve. The proxy cannot be a witness to the same document.
Pregnancy: Alabama law may suspend your living-will instructions while you are pregnant. Alabama's statutory form and the Natural Death Act provide that the living-will (life-sustaining treatment / artificial nutrition and hydration) instructions have no effect during the declarant's pregnancy if the attending physician determines the fetus could develop to live birth with continued treatment, unless the declarant has specified otherwise. Confirm exact language against § 22-8A-4 / § 22-8A-6.
Alabama also publishes an official statutory directive form (Ala. Code § 22-8A-4 (statutory Advance Directive for Health Care form embedded in the Natural Death Act)); this document is a valid alternative that covers the same ground.
After signing, give copies to your agent, your alternate, and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere accessible. An advance directive is not filed with a court.
This is a general-purpose directive and is not legal or medical advice. For complex wishes, a serious illness, or detailed treatment limits, talk to your doctor and an estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Enter your name and your agent's name to download.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Advance Health Care Directive of [YOUR FULL NAME]
PART I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], of [CITY], Alabama, being of sound mind, make this Advance Health Care Directive to state my wishes for my medical care and to appoint a person to make health care decisions for me if I cannot make them myself. I revoke any prior advance directive, living will, or health care power of attorney I have made.
PART II — MY HEALTH CARE AGENT
I appoint [AGENT NAME] as my health care agent.
My agent's authority takes effect when my attending physician determines that I am unable to make my own health care decisions, and ends if I regain that ability.
My agent may make any health care decision I could make, including consenting to, refusing, or withdrawing any medical care, treatment, or procedure; choosing and changing my doctors and care facilities; and arranging for my comfort and pain relief. My agent must follow my wishes as stated in this document and otherwise act in my best interest.
I authorize my agent to obtain and review my medical information, and I make my agent my personal representative under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for that purpose.
PART III — LIVING WILL — MY END-OF-LIFE WISHES
If I am terminally ill, permanently unconscious, or in an end-stage condition with no reasonable expectation of recovery, I do NOT want life-sustaining treatment (such as CPR, a ventilator, or dialysis) that would only prolong the process of dying. I direct that such treatment be withheld or withdrawn and that I be allowed to die naturally, receiving only care for my comfort.
I do NOT want artificially administered nutrition and hydration if it would serve only to prolong the process of dying.
Regardless of my other choices, I always want to be kept as comfortable and free of pain as possible, even if medication to relieve my pain may hasten my death.
Note about pregnancy: under Alabama law, this living-will instruction may be limited or suspended if I am pregnant. Alabama's statutory form and the Natural Death Act provide that the living-will (life-sustaining treatment / artificial nutrition and hydration) instructions have no effect during the declarant's pregnancy if the attending physician determines the fetus could develop to live birth with continued treatment, unless the declarant has specified otherwise. Confirm exact language against § 22-8A-4 / § 22-8A-6.
PART IV — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This directive is governed by the laws of Alabama and is intended to be effective in any place where I may be. A copy of this directive has the same effect as the original. I may revoke it at any time by notifying my agent or health care provider, orally or in writing.
If any part of this directive is held invalid, the rest remains in effect. My health care providers and agent who act in good faith reliance on this directive are protected to the fullest extent of the law.
SIGNATURE
I sign this Advance Health Care Directive willingly, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Alabama.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Principal
WITNESSES — Each of us declares that the principal signed this directive in our presence, appeared to be of sound mind and free from duress, that we are each at least 18 years old, and that we are not disqualified from witnessing under this state's law (see the signing instructions for who may not witness).
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
How to Sign Your Advance Directive in Alabama
Any competent adult (19+) signs the Advance Directive for Health Care in the presence of two qualifying witnesses (each 19+) who are not the proxy, not relatives by blood/adoption/marriage, not heirs, and not financially responsible for the declarant's care. No notarization required. The single document can appoint a health care proxy and state living-will wishes. Pregnancy may suspend the life-sustaining-treatment instructions.
Alabama requires 2 witnesses. A notary is not required. This generator's PDF includes a signing page with these exact steps.
The Two Parts: Health Care Agent and Living Will
Your Alabama directive has two jobs. The health care agent (also called a healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney) is the person who speaks to doctors for you if you cannot — choosing treatments, providers, and facilities and seeing your medical records. The living will records your own instructions about life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious with no reasonable hope of recovery.
Who Can Be Your Agent and Witnesses in Alabama
Your agent: In Alabama, your health care agent cannot be The health care proxy must be a competent adult. The attending physician and treating health care provider should not serve. The proxy cannot be a witness to the same document. Choose someone you trust who knows your values and will advocate for you.
Your witnesses: In Alabama, a witness must NOT be Both witnesses must be at least 19. A witness may NOT be: the person who signed the directive on the declarant's behalf at their direction; the appointed health care proxy; related to the declarant by blood, adoption, or marriage; entitled to any portion of the declarant's estate by intestate succession or under a will/codicil; or directly financially responsible for the declarant's medical care. Notarization is not required.. Pick neutral adults.
The Pregnancy Rule in Alabama
Alabama's statutory form and the Natural Death Act provide that the living-will (life-sustaining treatment / artificial nutrition and hydration) instructions have no effect during the declarant's pregnancy if the attending physician determines the fetus could develop to live birth with continued treatment, unless the declarant has specified otherwise. Confirm exact language against § 22-8A-4 / § 22-8A-6. This is a real and sometimes controversial limit; if it matters to you, discuss it with your doctor and consider adding specific instructions, and talk to an attorney about your options.
Who Decides If You Have No Directive in Alabama?
If you have not named a health care agent, Alabama law decides who speaks for you: If there is no directive and no proxy, Ala. Code § 22-8A-11 establishes a surrogate priority for withholding/withdrawing life-sustaining treatment: (1) a judicially-appointed guardian, then (2) the spouse, (3) an adult child (majority if more than one), (4) a parent, (5) an adult sibling, (6) any other relative based on degree of kinship. An unmarried partner usually has no automatic say. Signing a directive is how you choose your own decision-maker instead of leaving it to this default.
Updating, Revoking, and Sharing Your Directive
Review your directive after any major change — a new diagnosis, a divorce, the death of your agent, or a move to a new state (a directive valid where you signed it is usually honored elsewhere, but it is wise to re-sign under your new state's rules). You can revoke it any time by telling your agent or doctor or by signing a new one. After signing, give copies to your agent, your alternate, and your doctor and keep the original where it can be found quickly — a directive no one can locate cannot help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an advance directive made online valid in Alabama?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Alabama requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard advance directive for health care (combined living will + health care proxy); it becomes legally effective when you sign it as described above.
Do I need a lawyer to make an advance directive in Alabama?
No. A properly signed advance directive is valid whether or not a lawyer prepares it. See an attorney if you have complex wishes, a serious illness, or want detailed limits on specific treatments.
What is the difference between a living will and a healthcare power of attorney?
A living will states your own wishes about life-sustaining treatment. A healthcare power of attorney (agent/proxy) names a person to make medical decisions for you. This generator combines both in one Alabama directive.
Does my Alabama directive need to be notarized?
No, Alabama does not require notarization; 2 witnesses is what makes it valid.
Who can witness my advance directive in Alabama?
Adults who are not Both witnesses must be at least 19. A witness may NOT be: the person who signed the directive on the declarant's behalf at their direction; the appointed health care proxy; related to the declarant by blood, adoption, or marriage; entitled to any portion of the declarant's estate by intestate succession or under a will/codicil; or directly financially responsible for the declarant's medical care. Notarization is not required..
What happens if I don't have an advance directive in Alabama?
Alabama decides who makes your medical decisions: If there is no directive and no proxy, Ala. Code § 22-8A-11 establishes a surrogate priority for withholding/withdrawing life-sustaining treatment: (1) a judicially-appointed guardian, then (2) the spouse, (3) an adult child (majority if more than one), (4) a parent, (5) an adult sibling, (6) any other relative based on degree of kinship.
Does pregnancy affect my living will in Alabama?
Yes. Alabama's statutory form and the Natural Death Act provide that the living-will (life-sustaining treatment / artificial nutrition and hydration) instructions have no effect during the declarant's pregnancy if the attending physician determines the fetus could develop to live birth with continued treatment, unless the declarant has specified otherwise. Confirm exact language against § 22-8A-4 / § 22-8A-6. Discuss this with your doctor and an attorney if it concerns you.
Can my agent override my living will?
No. Your agent must follow the clear wishes you write down. The living will guides your agent and your doctors; the agent fills in decisions you did not specifically address.
Do I have to file my directive with a court?
No. An advance directive is not filed with any court. You keep the signed original and give copies to your agent and your doctor so it is available when needed.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is not legal or medical advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose advance directive and is not legal or medical advice or a substitute for an attorney or your physician. Healthcare-directive law changes; the Alabama requirements here are current as of 2026-06-05. A directive is only effective if signed as your state requires. For a serious illness, detailed treatment limits, or complex family situations, talk to your doctor and a Alabama estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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