Learn About The Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(a) An individual may create a health-care instruction that expresses the individual's preferences for future health care, including preferences regarding all of the following:
(1) Health-care professionals or health-care institutions.
(2) How a health-care decision will be made and communicated.
(3) Persons that should or should not be consulted regarding a health-care decision.
(4) A person to serve as guardian for the individual if 1 is appointed.
(5) An individual to serve as a default surrogate.
(b) A health-care professional to whom an individual communicates or provides an instruction under subsection (a) of this section shall document the instruction and the date of the instruction in the individual's medical record or communicate the instruction and date of the instruction to an administrator with responsibility for medical records of the health-care institution providing health care to the individual, who shall document the instruction and the date of the instruction in the individual's medical record.
(c) A health-care instruction made by an individual that conflicts with an earlier health-care instruction made by the individual, including an instruction documented in a medical order, revokes the earlier instruction to the extent of the conflict.
(d) A health-care instruction may be in the same record as a power of attorney for health care.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Delaware Code Title 16. Health and Safety § 2507. Health-care instruction - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/de/title-16-health-and-safety/de-code-sect-16-2507/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)