Advance Directives

Living Will vs. Medical Power of Attorney: What's the Difference?

These two get confused constantly, and it makes sense why: they both deal with your medical care, both only matter if you can't speak for yourself, both are usually signed at the same time, and in many states they're combined into a single document called an Advance Directive. But they do different jobs, and having one doesn't cover the other. Here's the short version, then the full picture. A Living Will is a written statement of the medical care you want. A Medical Power of Attorney names a