Living Wills & Advance Directives in Tulsa
Serving Tulsa Families with Advance Directive Planning Since 2002
A living will tells your doctors what you want when you can’t speak for yourself. In Oklahoma, that document is part of the broader Advance Directive for Health Care, governed by Okla. Stat. tit. 63, sections 3101.1 through 3101.16. Without one, Oklahoma law generally presumes you want life-sustaining treatment continued, including artificially administered nutrition and hydration, even in cases of persistent unconsciousness or end-stage conditions. That presumption may not reflect what you actually want.
Any competent adult age 18 or older may execute an advance directive in Oklahoma. The document takes effect when your attending physician is made aware of it and determines you can no longer make your own life-sustaining treatment decisions. At David C. Fisher Law Firm, PLLC, we’ve helped Tulsa families with estate planning since 2002, and we can draft your advance directive alongside the rest of your plan.
Ready to put your wishes in writing? Call us at (918) 201-1062 to schedule a same-day appointment, by phone or Zoom, at a time that works for you.
What Oklahoma’s Advance Directive Covers
The Oklahoma Advance Directive for Health Care combines two core elements: a living will that states your treatment preferences and a healthcare proxy designation that names a trusted person to make medical decisions when you cannot. The living will portion addresses three specific triggering scenarios: a terminal condition, persistent unconsciousness, and an end-stage condition. The document may also include an optional organ donation directive.
One provision requires particular attention. Withdrawing artificially administered nutrition and hydration isn’t automatic under Oklahoma law. It requires a separate, specifically initialed or signed authorization within the directive. If that section is left blank, a physician can’t act on those wishes even when the intent seems clear. A living will also covers only medical and end-of-life decisions. It doesn’t grant authority over finances, property, or legal affairs, which require a separate durable power of attorney.
Why Attorney-Drafted Advance Directives Hold Up
Oklahoma requires two qualifying witnesses, each at least 18 years old and not a legatee, devisee, or heir of the person signing. Notarization isn’t required, but witness qualification is mandatory. A directive witnessed by someone who stands to inherit from you can be challenged and rendered unenforceable.
Generic hospital forms are one-size-fits-all. They rarely account for your specific values, religious beliefs, or family situation, and they don’t flag the separately initialed nutrition and hydration provision, which is easy to overlook and critical to get right. Attorney David Fisher is a member of both the Oklahoma Bar Association Estate Planning Section and the American Bar Association Real Property Estate Planning Section, and he brings that background to every document we draft.
How We Work with Tulsa Clients on Advance Directives
We start with a straightforward conversation. Attorney David Fisher can walk you through what each section of the directive actually means, what your choices are in each of the three triggering scenarios, and how the document fits alongside your will, power of attorney, or trust. We don’t rush the process or push you toward a decision before you’re ready.
Once your directive is executed, we can explain the practical next steps: sharing a copy with your attending physician, informing your named healthcare proxy of where the document is kept, and discussing your wishes with them directly. If your circumstances change, an Oklahoma advance directive can be revoked at any time, but revocation must be communicated to your attending physician to take effect. We’re available for those follow-up conversations as well.
Schedule a Consultation on Your Advance Directive
Putting your advance directive in place is one of the most direct ways to protect your family from uncertainty. We offer same-day appointments and meet by phone or Zoom, so getting started doesn’t require rearranging your schedule.
Call David C. Fisher Law Firm, PLLC at (918) 201-1062 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your consultation. We return calls promptly and keep the process clear.