Florida Lady Bird Deed

Formally called an enhanced life estate deed, a Lady Bird deed gives a Florida homeowner a way to name who inherits the house automatically at death while holding onto every ownership right during life — the ability to sell it, mortgage it, refinance it, lease it out, or swap the named beneficiary, all without needing anyone's sign-off. When the owner dies, the title moves straight to the beneficiary, skipping probate entirely (Alper Law, Florida Lady Bird Deed). That's a meaningful contrast with an ordinary life estate deed, where the remainder beneficiary typically has to join in on any sale or mortgage.

Florida has never adopted a transfer-on-death deed statute for real estate, and that gap is precisely why the Lady Bird deed has become the state's go-to tool for passing along a home outside of probate. Only five states use it with any regularity: Florida, Michigan, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia (Alper Law).