Florida Statewide · Flat Fee · No Probate
Pass your real estate to loved ones without probate. Florida’s most cost-effective tool for transferring property at death, prepared by an attorney who has been doing this for over 30 years.
A ladybird deed — technically an enhanced life estate deed — is a Florida real estate deed that lets you pass your home or other real property to chosen beneficiaries automatically at death, without probate.
During your lifetime, you keep every right you have today: the right to live in the property, sell it, mortgage it, lease it, cut timber, or revoke the deed entirely. The remainder beneficiaries you name have no say while you are alive.
At your death, all that is required for the property to pass is the recording of your death certificate. No probate. No trust administration. No court hearings.
Many Florida homeowners think a will protects their home. It does not. A will only explains who should receive your property and who will be in charge of your estate. It does not avoid probate.
Probate can delay the transfer of real estate to your heirs for many months, and it is often costly. A ladybird deed lets your property bypass probate completely. It is a one-page solution to a multi-month problem.
Four reasons Florida homeowners use a ladybird deed instead of relying on a will alone.
Real property passes to your remainder beneficiaries when a death certificate is recorded. No probate, no court hearings, no months of delay.
Change your mind any time. Revoke the deed or sign a new one naming different beneficiaries without anyone else’s consent.
Sell, mortgage, lease, cut timber, or otherwise use your property exactly as you do today. The remainder beneficiaries have no say during your lifetime.
A one-time flat fee deed. No probate, no trust administration, no ongoing maintenance. The most cost-effective way to pass real estate at death.
A 15-minute call to discuss your property, your goals, and who you would like to receive it. Lauren explains whether a ladybird deed is the right fit.
Lauren’s team pulls the current deed, confirms the legal description, and drafts a ladybird deed naming your chosen remainder beneficiaries.
You sign the deed with a notary and two witnesses, either at our Gainesville office or by mail wherever you live in Florida.
We record the deed in the county where the property is located. When it comes back from recording, we mail the original to you for your records.
Flat fee, statewide
Our flat fee includes property research, deed preparation, and recording fees. There are no other costs unless and until your beneficiaries record a death certificate at the time of your passing.
Document signing can take place at our Gainesville office, or we can send the deed to you to sign wherever you live in Florida.
A ladybird deed, technically called an enhanced life estate deed, is a Florida real estate deed that lets a property owner pass their home or other real property to chosen beneficiaries automatically at death, without probate. The owner keeps complete control of the property during their lifetime, including the right to sell, mortgage, lease, or revoke the deed.
A will only directs how your property is distributed after probate — it does not avoid probate. Probate is a court-supervised process that can delay the transfer of real estate to your heirs for many months and is often costly. A ladybird deed lets your real estate pass outside of probate, so beneficiaries only need to record a death certificate to take title.
Yes. With a ladybird deed you retain an enhanced life estate, which preserves all of your property rights for life. You can sell, mortgage, lease, cut timber, or make any other decisions about the property without the consent of the remainder beneficiaries.
Yes. A ladybird deed is fully revocable during your lifetime. If your estate plan changes — different beneficiaries, sale of the property, new family circumstances — you can record a revocation or a new ladybird deed naming different remainder beneficiaries.
Lauren Richardson Law prepares ladybird deeds for a flat fee of $400, which includes property research, deed preparation, and recording fees. There are no other costs unless and until your beneficiaries record a death certificate at the time of your passing.
Yes. Lauren prepares ladybird deeds for property anywhere in Florida. Document signing can take place at the firm’s Gainesville office, or the deed can be sent to you to sign wherever you live and then returned for recording.
A traditional life estate deed gives the remainder beneficiaries a present interest in the property, meaning the owner cannot sell, mortgage, or change the deed without their consent. A ladybird deed (enhanced life estate) keeps all of those rights with the original owner, which is why it is sometimes called an "enhanced" life estate.
At your death, your remainder beneficiaries become the owners automatically. The only step required is for them to record a copy of your death certificate in the county where the property is located. No probate is required for the property covered by the ladybird deed.
A full plan: will, revocable trust, durable POA, and incapacity documents.
Learn moreIf a loved one passed without a ladybird deed, we guide you through probate.
Learn moreMedicaid planning, special needs trusts, and long-term care strategies.
Learn moreLauren Richardson Law prepares ladybird deeds for property anywhere in Florida. The first call is free, and there is no pressure.
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