Vermont codified its Enhanced Life Estate Deed Act in 27 V.S.A. chapter 6, and the law took effect July 13, 2020. Vermont title-industry guidance confirms the Act provides a statutory form for deeds executed on or after that date, giving property owners a standardized way to use this tool.
What makes this deed 'enhanced' compared to a traditional life estate is the retained power it gives the original owner. The record owner conveys title to one or more remaindermen but keeps a life estate for themselves, along with the ongoing ability to sell, mortgage, lease, gift, or otherwise convey the property — the full fee interest or a lesser one — during their lifetime. In Vermont title practice, this same structure goes by several other names too: a Lady Bird deed, a Ladybird Johnson deed, a Granai deed, a Medicaid deed, or a Barre deed, depending on who you're talking to. Whatever it's called, it's a title-law mechanism, and using it wisely still requires thinking through how it interacts with Medicaid eligibility, potential tax consequences, creditor exposure, and estate recovery — it doesn't resolve any of those questions automatically.
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