Free Louisiana Medical Power of Attorney Form

Louisiana follows a civil-law system, so a power of attorney is a contract called a mandate. The person acting for you is your mandatary. For a Louisiana medical power of attorney, the Civil Code requires that health care authority be given expressly.

The key rules come from the Civil Code articles on mandate.

Health Care Authority Must Be Express

Article 2997 lists acts that need express authority. Making health care decisions is on that list, with examples such as surgery, medical expenses, nursing home residency, and medication.

No Particular Form Is Required

Under Article 2993, a mandate is not required to be in any particular form. There is an exception: when the law prescribes a form for an act, a mandate authorizing that act must follow it.

Limits on Cutting Off Family Contact

A mandatary may not prevent or limit reasonable communication, visitation, or interaction between you and another person without prior court approval. The exception is where your mandate expressly grants that authority under Article 2997(7).

No, they are separate documents. A Louisiana living will is a declaration about life-sustaining procedures if you have a terminal and irreversible condition, governed by La. R.S. 40:1151 and following.

That declaration has its own signing rule: a written declaration must be signed in the presence of two witnesses. The Louisiana Secretary of State maintains a registry for these declarations. You can pair a Louisiana medical power of attorney with a declaration so both the decision-maker and the end-of-life choices are covered.

Prepare your Louisiana medical power of attorney form using this checklist:

1. Name your mandatary and any successor.
2. State expressly that the mandatary may make health care decisions.
3. List examples, such as surgery, medication, and nursing home placement.
4. Decide whether to grant or withhold authority over visitation and contact.
5. Sign the mandate, adding any formalities your lawyer recommends.
6. If you also want end-of-life instructions, sign a separate declaration with two witnesses.

Because Louisiana requires express authority, vague wording is the main risk. A strong document names the specific health care powers you are granting, in plain language.

Consider covering surgery, medication, medical expenses, and residence in a nursing home, since the Civil Code uses those examples. If the document also handles other matters, keep the health care grant in its own clearly labeled section.

Louisiana’s civil-law mandate rules are distinctive, so a local attorney can confirm whether your situation calls for extra formalities.