Georgia Proxy Process
Are You Ready?
1. Plan
Use the form wizard to complete your plan online. Identify your proxy and record your personal wishes.
2. Sign
Gather legal e-signatures:
- Your e-Signature
- Witness 1
- Witness 2
3. Share
Receive and share the completed, legal plan document with your proxy, family, and doctor.
Plan My Proxy simplifies the experience.
A health care proxy, or health care agent, is an individual to whom you give authority to make medical decisions on your behalf, in the event that you are not able to communicate your own preferences.
In an emergency, if you are unable to communicate your wishes, you will need someone who can speak for you and they need to know what your preferences are. The best way to do that is a health care proxy.
Plan My Proxy simplifies the health care proxy experience with an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand online form wizard.
We simplify your state’s form so it’s easier to use and then transfer your answers onto the official form for you to sign.
Identify your health care proxy and any back-ups.
It’s important to talk with the individuals about serving as your proxy.
Express your wishes so they’re documented and provide any additional instructions for your proxy.
Georgia Health Care Proxy Form
The Georgia advance directive for health care form has four parts. The document refers to a healthcare proxy as a “health care agent” so we’ve preserved that language below.
- Health Care Agent
- Treatment Preferences
- Guardianship
- Effectiveness and Signatures
PART ONE
Health Care Agent
This part allows you to choose someone to make health care decisions for you when you cannot (or do not want to) make health care decisions for yourself.
The person you choose is called a health care agent. You may also have your health care agent make decisions for you after your death with respect to an autopsy, organ donation, body donation, and final disposition of your body.
You should talk to your health care agent about this important role.
PART TWO
Treatment Preferences
This part allows you to state your treatment preferences if you have a terminal condition or if you are in a state of permanent unconsciousness.
It only becomes effective if you are unable to communicate your treatment preferences and after reasonable and appropriate efforts are made to communicate with you about your treatment preferences.
You should talk to your family and others close to you about your treatment preferences.
PART THREE
Guardianship
This part allows you to nominate a person to be your guardian should one ever be needed.
You can use your proxy or nominate someone different.
PART FOUR
Effectiveness and Signatures
This part requires your signature and the signatures of two witnesses. You must complete PART FOUR if you have filled out any other part of this form.
You may fill out any or all of the first three parts listed above. You must fill out PART FOUR of this form in order for this form to be effective.
2. Gather Signatures
After you identify your proxy and record your preferences, you will need to digitally sign the document.
In addition, Georgia law requires you to secure signatures from two witnesses to acknowledge the creation of your plan.
Two Witness Signatures
You will need two (2) witnesses to co-sign your document after you have completed and signed it. You will need to identify their names and email addresses so that the form wizard can send them a request by email. After the first witness signs, the second will receive an email. Once they both sign, the form is legally complete.
Both witnesses must be “of sound mind” and must be at least 18 years of age, but the witnesses do not have to be together or present with you when you sign this form. (This means they can e-sign!)
Not just anyone can be your witness!
- Your witness cannot be your proxy.
- Cannot be a person who will knowingly inherit anything from you or otherwise knowingly gain a financial benefit from your death; or
- Cannot be directly involved in your health care, like your primary care physician.
- Only one of the witnesses may be associated with the health care facility in which you are receiving health care (but cannot be directly involved in your health care).
3. Share Your Plan
After you complete your signatures and have the signatures of your witnesses, you'll receive your plan document in a PDF by email, as well as a permanent link to your executed plan.
You should share the digital PDF of the completed form with people who might need it:
- Your Proxy and Back-Ups
- Your Family, Friends, and Loved Ones
- Your Doctor and Medical Care Team
Keep a copy of this completed form online and at home in a place where it can easily be found if it is needed.
Pro-Tip
Save your completed form and share it via Google Drive or another cloud sharing service so that it's easily accessible by multiple people.
Best practice recommends that you review this form periodically to make sure it still reflects your preferences. If your preferences change, complete a new form.
You may revoke this completed form at any time.
This completed form will replace any advance directive for health care, durable power of attorney for health care, health care proxy, or living will that you have completed before completing this form.