what is a living will 
a living will also known as an advance directive is a legal document that specifies the type of medical care that an individual does or does not want in the event they are unable to communicate their wishes in the case of an unconscious person who suffers from a terminal illness or a life threatening injury doctors and hospitals consult the living will to determine whether or not the patient wants life sustaining treatment such as assisted breathing or tube feeding in the absence of a living will decisions about medical care become the responsibility of the spouse family members or other third parties these individuals may be unaware of the patient s desires or they may not wish to follow the patient s unwritten verbal directives understanding a living willliving wills and advance directives come into play only when one faces a life threatening condition and is unable to communicate their desires for treatment doctors don t consult the wills for standard medical care that doesn t involve life threatening situations every state provides for the drafting of a living will although some states call the document a medical directive or a health care proxy some states let you prepare a detailed customized living will while others require you to fill out a standardized form 