Wyoming Healthcare Directives Attorney

Your Medical Care Should Always Be In Your Control. We Make Sure It Is.

Who Makes Your Healthcare Decisions In The Event You Become Incapacitated?

Estate planning is a broad term that covers the steps you take to ensure your assets, wishes, and loved ones are protected after you’re gone.

From deciding who should receive your property to naming someone you trust to handle your affairs, it can feel like a lot to take on. But with the right legal group to help, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

At Olsen Crecelius Legal Group, we understand the ins and outs of Wyoming’s estate and probate laws—and we know how personal these decisions can be. Our role is to walk with you through the process, explain your options clearly, and help you create a plan that clearly reflects your values. With flat-fee pricing and support at every step, you can get the help you need without surprises or pressure.

Wyoming’s Default Rules Decide Who Speaks for You in a Strict Order

Wyoming law lets certain family members act as a “surrogate” decision-maker without a directive, but only in a fixed order: spouse first, then adult child, then parent, then grandparent, then sibling. Being married to someone, or being their parent or adult child, doesn’t guarantee you’re the one providers turn to; it depends on who else is reasonably available and where they rank. Providers still have to work through that process before anyone can act, and a directive lets you name the person you actually trust, regardless of where they’d otherwise fall in the order.

Your Family Members Are Left to Guess What Your Medical Choices Would've Been

A surrogate is required to follow your known wishes. But if you’ve never written them down, “known wishes” means whatever your family remembers or infers. Spouses, adult children, and parents may have to make major medical decisions based on guesswork. When more than one family member shares the same priority rank and they disagree, Wyoming law resolves it by majority vote among that group—which means the loudest disagreement, not necessarily the choice you would have made, can decide.

Without Written Instructions, Your Surrogate Is Guessing at Your Best Interest, Not Following Your Wishes

If you haven’t left individual instructions, a surrogate is legally permitted to withhold or withdraw treatment based on their own judgment of your best interest—but only if they’re confident enough to make that call under pressure, often without knowing what you actually wanted. In practice, uncertainty tends to push families and providers toward continuing treatment rather than risk acting against your wishes. Silence in the record isn’t a signal either way, it just means someone else is left to decide what silence should mean.

A Court May Still Have to Get Involved

If no one in the statutory priority order is reasonably available, or if family members at the same level can’t reach agreement even after majority resolution, the matter can end up in front of a judge, who decides who’s appointed to make decisions for you. That process takes time your family may not have, and it puts the decision in the hands of the state rather than the people you’d choose yourself.

Putting a directive in place lets you name your own decision-maker, put your wishes in writing, and remove the guesswork—while you’re still able to make these decisions yourself.

A Healthcare Directive Attorney Ensures You Will Always Maintain Control Over Your Medical Care

Wyoming’s advance directive law has very specific execution requirements. Under Wyo. Stat. § 35-22-404, a valid directive must be signed, dated, and witnessed or notarized according to state standards. A document that does not meet those requirements may not be honored by a hospital or care facility when your family needs it most.

That gap between a form and an enforceable document is where legal counsel matters. Online templates do not account for Wyoming’s specific witness restrictions, do not address the nuances of your individual medical circumstances, and do not help you think through decisions that most people have never considered before.

The healthcare directives attorneys at Olsen Crecelius Legal Group bring deep familiarity with how Wyoming hospitals, care facilities, and physicians actually respond to these documents in practice. The difference between a document that gets followed and one that gets questioned often comes down to precision in drafting.

Advanced healthcare directives cover more ground than many clients realize when they first walk in. Wyoming law provides for two distinct tools: a Living Will, which sets out your specific preferences for treatment in defined medical situations, and a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, which appoints a trusted agent to make decisions on your behalf when circumstances fall outside what the written document anticipated. Most people need both, drafted in a way that works together without creating contradictions.

For clients in advanced illness or those with complex medical conditions, we also advise on when a POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) may be appropriate. A POLST translates your preferences into immediate, actionable medical orders that emergency responders and facility staff can follow without delay. It is not a substitute for an advance directive, but it can be a critical complement to one.

Your healthcare directives integrate directly into your broader estate planning, ensuring that your financial and medical wishes are aligned and that the right people are authorized to act in every situation that matters.

Why Cheyenne Families Choose Olsen Crecelius Legal Group

A healthcare directive isn’t paperwork you fill out once and forget. It’s a reflection of what you want for yourself and your family if you’re ever unable to speak for yourself, and that’s exactly how Olsen Crecelius Legal Group treats it.

For over a decade, Cheyenne families have brought the moments that matter most here: naming a guardian for their kids, protecting a family business, making sure their wishes are honored when it counts. Founder Jared Olsen and partner Jared Crecelius lead a team that prioritizes taking the time to actually know you, sitting down before a single word gets drafted to understand your values, your medical concerns, and what matters to your family. That’s the difference between a document you sign and a plan you can trust.

We also use flat fees for our estate planning services, including healthcare directives, so you know the cost before any work begins, with no surprise invoice at the end. And when it’s time to sit down and talk through something this personal, the office is right in the heart of Cheyenne, at the corner of Warren and 22nd Street, easy to reach for a real, face-to-face conversation.

What Our Clients Experience

When you choose Olsen Crecelius Legal Group, you’re more than a case—you’re part of our community. See what others have shared about their journey.

Very professional and courteous staff assisted my girlfriend and I with completion of Trust documents and family wills in a timely manner. We are very appreciative of Olsen Legal Group maintaining privacy and confidentiality in the completion of these documents.

Jay Mullendore

"Professional and dedicated—they exceeded my expectations with their thorough approach and unwavering support throughout my case. Best Services ever!"

Tianna Rachel

“They handled my case with care and professionalism, guiding me through every step of the legal process. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Very Recomended"

Dixon Jamiera

Meet Your Healthcare Directive Attorney

Jared Olsen, a founding partner of Olsen Legal Group, LLC, is a dedicated estate planning attorney in Wyoming. He crafts personalized trust and will-centered plans to secure families’ futures with a compassionate approach. A graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law, Jared also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wyoming and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Weber State University.

Recognized with the Wyoming Business Report’s 40 Under 40 and the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce’s Business Advocate of the Year awards, Jared’s expertise in estate planning, probate law, and estate administration enables him to protect your estate with expert care. Jared remains deeply connected to his community. He is a member of Cheyenne Lodge No. 1 AF&AM, the Wyoming Court Security Commission, the Wyoming Access to Justice Commission, and the Southeast Wyoming Estate Planning Council.

What if I change my mind about my healthcare wishes after completing a directive?

You can revoke or update a healthcare directive at any time while you have the capacity to do so. The practical challenge is ensuring that any revision is properly executed under Wyoming’s requirements, that outdated copies are replaced, and that your healthcare agent and relevant providers have the current version. We help clients navigate that process so a well-intentioned update does not create confusion.

Do I really need an attorney to create a healthcare directive in Wyoming?

Wyoming does not require an attorney. But Wyoming’s execution requirements, the interaction between a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, and the practical realities of how healthcare providers treat these documents all create room for error in self-drafted documents. A directive that is not properly witnessed, that conflicts with itself, or that fails to address your actual medical circumstances may not protect you the way you intended. Legal counsel for healthcare directives exists precisely to close those gaps.

What happens if I don't have a healthcare directive in Wyoming?

Who should I choose as my healthcare agent, and what qualities are important?

Your agent needs to be someone who understands your values, can communicate clearly under stress, and will advocate for what you actually want rather than what is easiest or what they personally prefer. Geographic proximity, emotional stability, and a willingness to have direct conversations with medical staff all matter. We walk through this decision with every client, because choosing the right agent is as important as the language in the document itself.

How often should I review my healthcare directive, and when should I update it?

A directive that reflected your values five years ago may not reflect them now. Major life events, including a new diagnosis, a change in your family structure, a move, or a shift in your healthcare preferences, are all reasons to revisit what you have in place. We recommend reviewing your directive any time one of those changes occurs, and at minimum every few years, to confirm it still says what you intend.

Free Estate Planning Consultation

Create Your Estate Plan Knowing You've Chosen A Law Firm That Will Put Your Needs First

You don’t need to figure it out alone. Let our experienced team guide you with clarity and care. Based in Cheyenne, our team proudly serves clients throughout all 23 counties of Wyoming. We understand the unique legal landscape of our state and are here to ensure your wishes are respected and your loved ones are protected, no matter where you call home.

Let’s create a plan that brings you peace of mind today and security for your family tomorrow.