Death Doula Lawsuit vs. The State of Indiana (Webinar):

How to legally protect yourself, practice responsibly, and cut through fear

With Lauren Richwine & Patty Brennan

For the past four years the State of Indiana has unsuccessfully been trying to shut down Lauren Richwine’s work as a death doula with Death Done Differently. Thanks to a combination of preparedness, grass roots connections, and incredible support from the Institute for Justice, Lauren filed a federal lawsuit in 2023 against the state on the grounds that her first amendment rights to free speech were being violated. The case continues to be litigated. Join us to learn what prepared Lauren to face the state’s cease and desist order when it came, steps that death doulas practicing anywhere can take to protect themselves, and why fear should never stand between a death doula and their work.

The following questions were discussed in the webinar:

• Describe the legal situation you’ve found yourself in and how that’s played out.
• Are there specific steps or actions that doulas can take to proactively protect themselves or to prevent finding themselves in a similar situation? 
• What legal protections or documentation do you recommend every death doula have in place before taking on clients?
• What has your relationship with fear looked like as you press deeper into this work? Have those fears changed over the years? 
• Is there a fear related to the work that you’re wrestling with currently? How are you engaging with that? 

Lauren Richwine was one of the first death doulas to serve in the Midwest. A published writer and photographer, she received her initial mentorship with the Earth Traditions Death Midwifery program in 2018 after keeping vigil at deathbeds with a local hospice. She launched her practice, Death Done Differently, LLC in 2019. Lauren is also a trained Advance Care Planning facilitator through Respecting Choices and continues to be passionately committed to defending community led death care.