COMPLETING YOUR INDIANA ADVANCE DIRECTIVE
How do I make my Indiana Advance Directive legal?
Indiana law requires that you have your signature witnessed in different ways, depending
on the powers you are granting to your health-care representative and/or the declarations
you make.
If you fill out Part One, appointment of health-care representative and power of attorney,
you must sign this form in the presence of one adult, age 18 or older, who is not your
health-care representative.
In order for you to grant your health-care representative the additional powers listed on
page 3 of the form, your witness must be a notary public.
Part Two requires that you sign in the presence of two competent witnesses, 18 years of
age or older, who must also sign the document and state that they personally know you
and believe you to be of sound mind. If you choose in your declaration to have life-
prolonging procedures withheld or withdrawn, your witnesses cannot be:
•
a person signing the Declaration on your behalf if you are unable to sign it yourself,
•
your parent, spouse, or child,
•
a person entitled to any part of your estate, or
•
a person directly financially responsible for your medical care.
If you are fill out both parts, you must sign your form in the presence of two competent
witnesses, 18 years of age or older, who must also sign the document and state that they
personally know you and believe you to be of sound mind. If you choose in your
declaration to have life-prolonging procedures withheld or withdrawn, your witnesses
cannot be:
•
a person signing the Declaration on your behalf if you are unable to sign it yourself,
•
your parent, spouse, or child,
•
a person entitled to any part of your estate, or
•
a person directly financially responsible for your medical care.
If you fill out both parts, and want to grant your health care representative the additional
powers listed on page 3 of the form, you should have your form notarized in addition to
having it witnessed.
Whom should I appoint as my health-care representative?
Your health-care representative — who is also your attorney-in-fact for purposes of your
power of attorney — is the person you appoint to make decisions about your medical care
if you become unable to make those decisions yourself. Your health-care representative