A Lady Bird Deed—also known as an “enhanced life estate deed”—is a simple yet powerful legal tool that lets you keep full control of your property during your lifetime while deciding who will automatically inherit it after you pass away.
Here’s how it works: you stay in complete control. You can live in the home, sell it, refinance it, or even change your mind and revoke the deed entirely. Then, when you die, the property passes directly to your chosen beneficiary—without going through probate or needing a will.
This type of deed can also help protect the home from Medicaid estate recovery in some cases, potentially preserving the property for your loved ones. Because Lady Bird Deeds avoid probate, they can save time, money, and legal hassle. But like any legal option, they’re not one-size-fits-all—what’s right for one person might not be best for another.
In short: A Lady Bird Deed gives you the freedom to enjoy your property today, and the peace of mind of knowing exactly what will happen to it tomorrow.
Read our other articles for more information about Lady Bird Deeds and
similar transfer-on-death property instruments.
