This is the most personal document of the route, and there are no correct boxes — only yours. Practical advice: do not sign it once forever but in a rhythm — a fresh signature every year or two removes any doctor doubt that your will is current.
Patientenverfuegung: Specificity Decides
A living will only works when specific: the Federal Court voided generic phrases. The official BMJ text modules are the safe path.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I built it from the official BMJ modules: specific situations (dying phase, terminal stage, severe brain damage) plus specific measures (ventilation, tube, resuscitation). The Federal Court voided no life-prolonging measures as too vague — without named situations the document is dead.
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Lea recommends:
Discuss it with your family doctor and name the same health representative as in the power of attorney: they will enforce your will with doctors. Sign in a rhythm every year or two — a fresh signature removes doubts about currency.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are doctors bound by the paper? ▾
Yes, a specific living will is legally binding (§ 1827 BGB) — it equals your spoken refusal while conscious. Hence the strict specificity.
I am young and healthy — too early? ▾
The document is precisely for the sudden: accident, stroke, coma. It is the young who are kept on machines longest when no will is known.
Do I need a notary for the living will? ▾
No: written form with a date and your own signature suffices, no notary needed. A talk with your doctor is advisable — they explain the consequences and note the directive — but not mandatory.