<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76186</law_id><section_number>54.1-2988.1</section_number><catch_line>Assistance with completing and executing advance directives</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="29">Medicine and Other Healing Arts</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="8">Health Care Decisions Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The distribution of written <span class="dictionary">advance directives</span> in a form meeting the requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suggested form of written advance directives" href="/54.1-2984/">54.1-2984</a> and the provision of technical advice, <span class="dictionary">consultation</span>, and assistance to persons with regard to the completion and execution of such forms by (i) <span class="dictionary">health care</span> providers, including their authorized <span class="dictionary">agents</span> or employees, or (ii) <span class="dictionary">qualified advance directive facilitators</span> shall not constitute the unauthorized practice of <span class="dictionary">law</span> pursuant to Chapter 39 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Practice of law; student internship program; definition" href="/54.1-3900/">54.1-3900</a> et seq.). <a id="paragraph-273597" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-2988.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The provision of <span class="dictionary">ministerial assistance</span> to a person with regard to the completion or execution of a written advance directive in a form meeting the requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suggested form of written advance directives" href="/54.1-2984/">54.1-2984</a> shall not constitute the unauthorized practice of <span class="dictionary">law</span> pursuant to Chapter 39 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Practice of law; student internship program; definition" href="/54.1-3900/">54.1-3900</a> et seq.). For the purpose of this subsection, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">ministerial assistance</span>&#x201D; includes reading the form of an advance directive meeting the requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suggested form of written advance directives" href="/54.1-2984/">54.1-2984</a> to a person, discussing the person&#x2019;s preferences with regard to items included in the form, recording the person&#x2019;s answers on the form, and helping the person sign the form and obtain any other necessary signatures on the form. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Ministerial assistance</span>&#x201D; does not include the expressing of an <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> regarding the legal effects of any item contained in the form of an advance directive meeting the requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suggested form of written advance directives" href="/54.1-2984/">54.1-2984</a> or the offering of legal advice to a person completing or executing such form. <a id="paragraph-273598" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-2988.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2017, cc. 747, 752.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
