State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Michigan
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the Michigan form
State of Michigan publishes the current form here: https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/fyit/Site-Documents/DHS-Pub-0161.pdf
Michigan calls the agent a 'patient advocate.'
In Michigan, the person you name is called a patient advocate
Michigan's vocabulary is the first thing to get right, because it does not match what most guides online tell you to search for. The person you name to make healthcare decisions for you is called a patient advocate, and the document that names them is a Patient Advocate Designation.
You will not find an official Michigan form called a "health care power of attorney" or a "medical power of attorney". Those phrases describe the same role in other states. If a hospital or a relative asks you for one of those, the Patient Advocate Designation is what they mean.
The same document does both jobs: it names your patient advocate and it is where you write your own instructions about treatment. There is no separate Michigan form for recording wishes, so the instructions belong here rather than in a second document.
Michigan publishes the form itself, free of charge. There is no need to pay anyone for it, and no reason to accept a version from a website that has put its own branding on it.
Michigan does not use the words "agent", "surrogate", or "power of attorney" for this role. If you sign a document written in another state's vocabulary, make sure it still does what Michigan requires. The state's own form is the safest starting point.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Michigan requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the Michigan advance directive form free?
Yes. State of Michigan publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Michigan form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Michigan law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Michigan advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.