Get your documents and plans in order.
End of Life Planning Checklist
This form is a great place to start when really thinking about what you want at the end of life and what that might mean for you.
Advanced Directives
In this form you will decide your Power of Attorney for Health Care (Living Will) and give instructions on how you would like to be cared for in your end of life as well as after-death care wishes. This form will need to have a witness and notary signature.
Body Disposition Affidavit
In this form you will decide and state how you would like your body disposed of after death. To find out more about body disposition options in Montana, see the following resources.
Financial Power of Attorney
In this form you will decide your Financial Power of Attorney. This person will make financial decisions on your behave if you are no longer able to make them while you are still alive. This form needs a witness and notary signature.
Transfer on Death Deed
This form is the Montana Transfer on Death Deed (TODD). It is a legal document that allows real estate owners to pass property directly to designated beneficiaries upon death, completely avoiding the probate process. (unlike a will) The deed must be signed, notarized, and recorded with the local county clerk and recorder before the owner's death to be valid
POLST
While Advance Directives express your general future wishes, a POLST creates immediate, enforceable medical orders based on your current health status. It translates a patient's preferences into medical orders that all healthcare professionals—including emergency responders—must follow, dictating choices for resuscitation, feeding tubes, and breathing interventions. Very comparable to a DNR. Only patients diagnosed with a progressive or advanced life-limiting illness, or those experiencing advanced frailty due to aging should fill out this form. Completion is 100% voluntary. It is created after a thorough conversation with your healthcare team about your goals of care. POLST must be signed by both the patient (or their legally appointed healthcare proxy) and an approved medical provider (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant).