FindLaw | Find a Lawyer. Find Answers.
Are you a legal Professional?
My current location:
,
| Change location
Georgia Living Wills Laws
More Information on Living Wills
| Code Section | 31-32-1, et seq. |
| Specific Powers, Life-Prolonging Acts | Any medical procedures or interventions which would serve only to prolong the dying process for a patient in a terminal condition, a coma, or persistent vegetative state with no reasonable expectation of regaining consciousness or cognitive function; may include the provision of nourishment and hydration but shall not include medication or any medical procedure to alleviate pain |
| Legal Requirements for Valid Living Will | (1) Competent; (2) adult; (3) signed by declarant; (4) in presence of 2 competent adults not related to declarant; (5) any declaration constituting declarant's intent shall be honored regardless of the form or when executed |
| Revocation of Living Will | Revocable at any time by declarant without regard to mental state or competency by (1) destruction of document; (2) declarant signs and dates a written revocation expressing intent to revoke; (3) any verbal or nonverbal expression by declarant of intent to revoke which clearly revokes the living will as opposed to a will relating to the disposition of property after death |
| Validity from State-to-State | Any declaration regardless of form which constitutes declarant's intent shall be honored |
| If Physician Unwilling to Follow Living Will | Advise promptly the next of kin or guardian and at their election make a good faith attempt to effect a transfer or permit the next of kin or guardian to obtain complying physician |
| Immunity for Attending Physician | No physician acting in good faith in accordance with the requirements of this chapter shall be subject to any civil liability, guilty of any criminal act, or unprofessional conduct |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
Research the Law:
- Official State Codes - Links to the official online statutes (laws) in all 50 states and DC.
Related Resources for Living Wills Laws: