In Wisconsin, a complete Advance Directive requires the completion of two separate forms: a Living Will titled "Directive to Physicians and Family or Surrogates" and a "Power of Attorney for Health Care" (a.k.a. Health Care Proxy).

Required Information for the Living Will: You and two (2) witnesses need to sign your WI Living Will for it to be legitimate. Witnesses MUST be a minimum of 18 years old. Witnesses CAN NOT be:

  • Relatives through blood, marriage, or adoption
  • Directly responsible for your health care costs
  • Persons who know they are entitled to a piece of your assets or have a claim to it
  • A health care provider who is serving you at the time the document is signed, an employee of the health care provider who is not a chaplain or social worker, or an employee of an inpatient health care facility where you are a patient who is not a chaplain or social worker.
Wisconsin Advance Directive Form
Required Information for Naming a Health Care Proxy: Your WI Health Care Proxy form must be signed by you and two (2) witnesses for it to be considered valid. Witnesses MUST be a minimum of 18 years old. Witnesses CAN NOT be:

  • Relatives through blood, marriage, or adoption
  • Directly responsible for your health care costs
  • Persons who know they are entitled to a piece of your assets or have a claim to it
  • A health care provider who is serving you at the time the document is signed, an employee of the health care provider who is not a chaplain or social worker, or an employee of an inpatient health care facility where you are a patient who is not a chaplain or social worker.
Other resources for Wisconsin:

Death Certificates
Digital Estate Planning Laws:
Law: AB 695 Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Description: This provides a process for a digital asset custodian to disclose digital assetinformation when requested by a fiduciary who needs access to the information to fulfill fiduciary duties. [Read the final Bill | Wisconsin Legislative Council Act Memo]
Status: Effective April 1, 2016

Death With Dignity Legislation (a.k.a. Aid-In-Dying or Physician-Assisted Death)
  • Wisconsin has no legislation
Organ Donation Registries
Wisconsin Organ Donation registry official link

POLST (Clinician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Form
Wisconsin doesn’t have a POLST program (check the status here).

Probate Laws

Estate And Inheritance Tax Rate
  • Wisconsin has no estate tax or inheritance tax