Does a Will Cover Medical Decisions in Saskatchewan?
Last updated 2026-06 · Saskatchewan
No — a will has no effect while you're alive. It governs only what happens after death. If you become incapable through illness or injury, your will can't authorize anyone to manage your money or your medical care. Saskatchewan handles incapacity with separate documents.
A will is a death document
Your Saskatchewan will distributes your estate, names an executor, and can name a guardian for minor children — but each of those powers begins at death. Incapacity needs its own planning.
Saskatchewan's incapacity documents
- Power of Attorney (under The Powers of Attorney Act, 2002) — lets a person you choose manage your financial and legal affairs (banking, bills, property) if you lose capacity. An enduring version continues through incapacity.
- Health Care Directive (under The Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Act) — Saskatchewan's instrument for medical and personal-care decisions. You name a proxy to make health decisions and record your treatment wishes for use if you can't decide for yourself.
Without these, your family may have to apply to court to be appointed your guardian or trustee — slow and stressful at the worst time.
"Living wills" in Saskatchewan
What people loosely call a "living will" is, in Saskatchewan, the document above for health and personal care. You can set out the care you do and don't want, and your named proxy is responsible for honouring it.
The Saskatchewan document set most adults need
- A will (after death).
- A Power of Attorney (finances during incapacity).
- A Health Care Directive (medical and personal care during incapacity).
Together they cover incapacity and death — the gap a will alone leaves open.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a will and a power of attorney in Saskatchewan? A will operates after death; a power of attorney operates while you're alive but incapable. Do I need a living will in Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan's version is the Health Care Directive, which covers your medical wishes and names a proxy. Who makes medical decisions if I'm incapacitated in Saskatchewan? Your proxy under a Health Care Directive; without one, a substitute decision-maker under provincial rules or a court-appointed guardian. What documents do I need besides a will in Saskatchewan? A Power of Attorney and a Health Care Directive.
Not legal advice. General information about Saskatchewan law as of 2026. Confirm specifics with a Saskatchewan estate lawyer.
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