It’s entirely up to you when you write your living will. There are a few indicators that it could be time to make one. The American Bar Association recommends assessing your situation based on the “Five Ds” of advanced directives: Decade: As you age, you may want to consider making plans for what you’d like doctors and other parties to do, should anything happen to you. Death: If someone close to you — like a spouse or your healthcare proxy — dies, you may want to consider naming someone else to be responsible for your end-of-life medical decisions. Divorce: After a divorce, you may want to reassign a healthcare proxy or otherwise update your wishes. Diagnosis: If you receive a medical diagnosis that could be life-threatening, it’s important to have your plans laid out ahead of time. Decline: If and when your health begins to decline, you may be thinking about how you’d like your affairs to be handled.