How to Revoke a Connecticut Advance Directive

Connecticut law permits revocation of the living-will portion of your advance directive at any time and in any manner, including orally, in writing, or by destruction. You do not need a lawyer, a court order, or your health care representative's permission. But the revocation only works if the right people know about it — and there are steps most guides skip that prevent your old directive from resurfacing during an emergency.

Here is how to revoke the living-will portion of a Connecticut advance directive, what counts as a valid revocation, and how to make sure the old document does not override your current wishes.

Three Ways to Revoke

Connecticut recognizes these methods of revocation for the living-will portion under C.G.S. § 19a-579a:

1. Written Revocation

Draft a written statement revoking the living-will portion of the advance directive. Sign and date it. This is the strongest method because it creates a paper trail.

The written revocation does not need to follow any specific format. A clear statement is sufficient: "I hereby revoke the living-will portion of the advance directive I executed on [date]." No witnesses or notarization required, though both are prudent.

2. Verbal Revocation

You can revoke the living-will portion of your advance directive by communicating your intent orally, including by telling your attending physician or health care representative that you are revoking it. The physician should document the verbal revocation in your medical record.

Verbal revocation is immediate and valid, but it creates a proof problem. If the physician does not document it — or if you tell a family member who does not relay it — the original directive may still be on file and treated as valid.

3. Physical Destruction

Tearing up, burning, or otherwise destroying the original advance directive is a way to revoke its living-will portion. This is effective for the original, but does not address copies you distributed to physicians, hospitals, care facilities, and family members.

The Notification Step Most People Skip

For the living-will portion, revocation is legally effective when you express it (in writing, verbally, or by destruction), but it is practically effective only when every person and institution holding a copy of the old directive knows it has been revoked.

If your primary care physician's office still has your old directive in your electronic health record, they will rely on it during a medical crisis. If your hospital has a copy on file and you revoked verbally at home, the hospital does not know.

After revoking, notify:

• Your health care representative and alternate representative
• Your primary care physician
• Any specialists who have a copy
• Your local hospital's medical records department
• Any long-term care facility, assisted living community, or home health agency
• Family members who received copies

Ask each provider to remove the old directive from your records and confirm they have done so. A verbal "I revoked it" is not sufficient — follow up to make sure the old document is gone.

Replacing vs. Revoking

In most cases, people revoke an advance directive because they want to replace it — not because they want to have no directive at all. Connecticut does not require you to formally revoke the old directive before executing a new one. A new advance directive that is properly executed automatically supersedes the old one.

However, relying solely on supersession creates risk:

• If the old directive is on file at a hospital and the new one is not, providers will follow the old one
• If the old and new directives are both on file and have conflicting instructions, it creates confusion
• Dates on the documents resolve the conflict (the most recent one controls), but in an emergency, providers may not take the time to compare dates

Best practice: Formally revoke the old directive, notify everyone who has a copy, and then distribute the new directive to all the same recipients. Do not assume supersession alone is sufficient.

When to Revoke or Update

Common triggers for revocation or replacement:

• Marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse — especially if your spouse was named as health care representative
• Death or incapacity of your named representative — the alternate steps in, but you may want to restructure
• New medical diagnosis — your treatment preferences may change based on a new condition
• Moving to another state — Connecticut's directive may not be fully honored elsewhere; execute a new directive under the new state's laws
• Change in treatment philosophy — your views on life-sustaining treatment may evolve over time
• Conflict with your representative — if you no longer trust the person you appointed, revocation and replacement is immediate

The MOLST Complication

If you have a MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) in addition to your advance directive, revoking the living-will portion does not automatically revoke the MOLST. They are separate documents.

To void a MOLST, you need to inform the clinician who signed it and have the form marked as void or replaced with updated orders. Simply destroying your advance directive at home does not affect the MOLST on file at your physician's office or care facility.

If you are updating your overall end-of-life plan, review both documents together.

Revocation and Capacity

The living-will revocation rule is not limited to a particular format: Connecticut permits revocation at any time and in any manner, including orally, in writing, or by destruction. If you are updating your plan after a period of incapacity or recovery, communicate the change to the attending physician and everyone holding a copy.

The Connecticut Advance Directive & Living Will Kit includes a revocation template and a distribution tracker so you can notify every holder of the old directive and confirm receipt of the replacement.

See more Connecticut guides →