A living will—also known as an Advance Health Care Directive—is a document in which the declarant or principal (person making the living will) specifies what kind of medical treatment the declarant does and does not want if the declarant has a medical emergency and is unable to communicate those wishes. A living will may direct health care providers to administer, withhold, or withdraw life-sustaining treatments if the declarant is in a terminal or irreversible condition.

Laws and terminology for documents related to living wills, Advance Health Care Directives, Do Not Resuscitate orders (DNRs), and other health care documents vary from state to state. These laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the probate code or estates code.

In Vermont, a living will is recognized as an Advance Directive for Health Care. Vermont law allows individuals to create an Advance Directive to specify their health care preferences in the event that they are unable to communicate due to a medical condition. The document can include instructions on the administration, withholding, or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment if the individual is in a terminal condition or is permanently unconscious. Vermont's statutes provide the legal framework for these directives, ensuring that the wishes of the declarant are followed by health care providers. The Advance Directive can also appoint an agent to make health care decisions on the declarant's behalf and may include a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. The relevant laws governing Advance Directives in Vermont are found in Title 18 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, specifically in Chapter 231, which outlines the requirements for executing a valid Advance Directive, the scope of decision-making authority granted to an agent, and the conditions under which the Advance Directive becomes effective.