legal
Understanding Power of Attorney and Advance Directives
The three documents every family should have — in plain English.
6 min readReviewed 9/4/2026
You want these before you need them. Florida recognizes three that matter most:
Durable Power of Attorney — lets a person you name handle money and legal decisions if you cannot.
Healthcare Surrogate — lets a person you name make medical decisions if you cannot.
Living Will — states in advance whether you want life-prolonging treatment when there is no reasonable hope of recovery.
All three can be prepared without a lawyer using the Florida statutory forms, but a lawyer is worth it for complex estates.
Checklist
- Talk to your loved one before a crisis
- Print Florida statutory forms
- Have documents signed with two witnesses and a notary
- Give a copy to the doctor's office
- Store originals somewhere both of you can find
Sources
Florida Bar · Legal Aid of Broward
General information — not medical, legal, or clinical advice. In an emergency call 911.