Free Wisconsin Advance Directive & Living Will
Build a complete Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's correct signing requirements.
A free directive — not legal or medical advice.
This builds a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, your agent cannot be For the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.05/155.10), the agent may not be the principal's health care provider, an employee of that provider, or an employee of a health care facility/inpatient facility in which the principal is a patient, UNLESS that person is a relative of the principal. A witness may not be the named agent.
Your end-of-life wishes
If you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious with no recovery expected.
Note: Wisconsin law may suspend these wishes during pregnancy.
Other wishes (optional)
Before you sign — Wisconsin notes
This directive has NO legal effect until you sign it. To make it valid in Wisconsin: Wisconsin uses two separate documents: a Declaration to Physicians (living will, ch. 154) and a Power of Attorney for Health Care (ch. 155). Each must be signed by the declarant/principal and two qualifying witnesses (you and the two witnesses sign together for the declaration). Witnesses cannot be relatives, heirs, persons financially responsible for your care, your health care provider/its employee, or facility employees; the named agent cannot witness. No notary is required. The living-will declaration has NO effect while you are diagnosed as pregnant.
Witness rules: a witness must NOT be Both the Declaration to Physicians (Sec. 154.03) and the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.10) require two witnesses who sign (notary not required; two witnesses only). No witness may be: related to the declarant by blood, marriage, or adoption; have knowledge that they are entitled to or have a claim on any portion of the declarant's estate; directly financially responsible for the declarant's health care; or a health care provider serving the declarant, an employee of that provider (other than a chaplain or social worker), or an employee of an inpatient health care facility in which the declarant is a patient. For the health care POA (155.10), the agent may not act as a witness, and additional restrictions apply (e.g., the health care provider/employee may not be agent or witness).
Your agent cannot be For the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.05/155.10), the agent may not be the principal's health care provider, an employee of that provider, or an employee of a health care facility/inpatient facility in which the principal is a patient, UNLESS that person is a relative of the principal. A witness may not be the named agent.
Pregnancy: Wisconsin law may suspend your living-will instructions while you are pregnant. Wis. Stat. Sec. 154.07(2): the Declaration to Physicians of a qualified patient who is diagnosed as pregnant by the attending health care professional has NO effect during the course of the patient's pregnancy.
Wisconsin also publishes an official statutory directive form (Wis. Stat. Sec. 154.03 (Declaration to Physicians form); Sec. 155.30 (Power of Attorney for Health Care basic form)); 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], Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin law, this living-will instruction may be limited or suspended if I am pregnant. Wis. Stat. Sec. 154.07(2): the Declaration to Physicians of a qualified patient who is diagnosed as pregnant by the attending health care professional has NO effect during the course of the patient's pregnancy.
PART IV — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This directive is governed by the laws of Wisconsin 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], Wisconsin.
____________________________________
[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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin uses two separate documents: a Declaration to Physicians (living will, ch. 154) and a Power of Attorney for Health Care (ch. 155). Each must be signed by the declarant/principal and two qualifying witnesses (you and the two witnesses sign together for the declaration). Witnesses cannot be relatives, heirs, persons financially responsible for your care, your health care provider/its employee, or facility employees; the named agent cannot witness. No notary is required. The living-will declaration has NO effect while you are diagnosed as pregnant.
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
Your agent: In Wisconsin, your health care agent cannot be For the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.05/155.10), the agent may not be the principal's health care provider, an employee of that provider, or an employee of a health care facility/inpatient facility in which the principal is a patient, UNLESS that person is a relative of the principal. A witness may not be the named agent. Choose someone you trust who knows your values and will advocate for you.
Your witnesses: In Wisconsin, a witness must NOT be Both the Declaration to Physicians (Sec. 154.03) and the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.10) require two witnesses who sign (notary not required; two witnesses only). No witness may be: related to the declarant by blood, marriage, or adoption; have knowledge that they are entitled to or have a claim on any portion of the declarant's estate; directly financially responsible for the declarant's health care; or a health care provider serving the declarant, an employee of that provider (other than a chaplain or social worker), or an employee of an inpatient health care facility in which the declarant is a patient. For the health care POA (155.10), the agent may not act as a witness, and additional restrictions apply (e.g., the health care provider/employee may not be agent or witness).. Pick neutral adults.
The Pregnancy Rule in Wisconsin
Wis. Stat. Sec. 154.07(2): the Declaration to Physicians of a qualified patient who is diagnosed as pregnant by the attending health care professional has NO effect during the course of the patient's pregnancy. 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 Wisconsin?
If you have not named a health care agent, Wisconsin law decides who speaks for you: Wisconsin has NO general statutory next-of-kin default-surrogate consent hierarchy for an incapacitated adult; absent a valid Power of Attorney for Health Care or an activated declaration, decisions typically require a court-appointed guardian (ch. 54/55). (Family members are not automatically authorized to consent the way they are in spouse-then-children hierarchy states.) 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 Wisconsin?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Wisconsin requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard declaration to physicians (living will, ch. 154) + power of attorney for health care (ch. 155); it becomes legally effective when you sign it as described above.
Do I need a lawyer to make an advance directive in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin directive.
Does my Wisconsin directive need to be notarized?
No, Wisconsin does not require notarization; 2 witnesses is what makes it valid.
Who can witness my advance directive in Wisconsin?
Adults who are not Both the Declaration to Physicians (Sec. 154.03) and the Power of Attorney for Health Care (Sec. 155.10) require two witnesses who sign (notary not required; two witnesses only). No witness may be: related to the declarant by blood, marriage, or adoption; have knowledge that they are entitled to or have a claim on any portion of the declarant's estate; directly financially responsible for the declarant's health care; or a health care provider serving the declarant, an employee of that provider (other than a chaplain or social worker), or an employee of an inpatient health care facility in which the declarant is a patient. For the health care POA (155.10), the agent may not act as a witness, and additional restrictions apply (e.g., the health care provider/employee may not be agent or witness)..
What happens if I don't have an advance directive in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin decides who makes your medical decisions: Wisconsin has NO general statutory next-of-kin default-surrogate consent hierarchy for an incapacitated adult; absent a valid Power of Attorney for Health Care or an activated declaration, decisions typically require a court-appointed guardian (ch. 54/55). (Family members are not automatically authorized to consent the way they are in spouse-then-children hierarchy states.)
Does pregnancy affect my living will in Wisconsin?
Yes. Wis. Stat. Sec. 154.07(2): the Declaration to Physicians of a qualified patient who is diagnosed as pregnant by the attending health care professional has NO effect during the course of the patient's pregnancy. 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 general information, not legal or medical advice.
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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