Free Florida Lady Bird Deed

In Florida, no statute authorizes a transfer on death deed; a Lady Bird deed is recognized by the state bar's title standards: the owner keeps a life estate and the power to sell or convey the property without the grantee and revoke or revise the deed.

Progress0%

Your Information

The owner of the property, named as on the current deed. Florida recognizes the deed through the state bar's title standards (Fla. Unif. Title Std. 6.10 (RPPTL Section of The Florida Bar).

State Where the Property Is Located*

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Email Address*

Street Address*

City*

State*

ZIP Code*

Marital Status*

MarriedUnmarried

Who Owns the Property*

I own it aloneI own it with another person

FREE & PRIVATE: This form is free—no account or credit card required. Your document contents and generated PDF never leave your browser—SimplyTrust does not transmit or store them. Contact details you provide (name, email, phone, state) are transmitted only to send the updates you agree to receive at download. You are responsible for saving your completed document.

SELF-HELP SERVICE: SimplyTrust provides a self-help document preparation service. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice, select forms for you, or tell you how to complete forms. Our role is limited to providing a platform where you input your own information into document templates.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE: This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Yes. Florida recognizes the deed by the state bar's title standards, under the name “enhanced life estate”. The owner conveys the property now while keeping a life estate and the power to convey the whole during life, so the grantee's remainder follows the owner's death only if the owner has not conveyed the property.

A life estate in the property and the power to sell or convey the property without the grantee and revoke or revise the deed, in the words of the authority that recognizes the deed. The grantee's consent is not needed for an exercise of the reserved powers. Changing it later: A conveyance by the life tenant that clearly states the intent to divest the remainderman, where the deed creating the enhanced life estate reserved the power to divest (Standards 6.10 and 6.11, Comments). During the owner's life the grantee holds a vested remainder interest subject to divestment.

The deed is signed in the presence of 2 subscribing witnesses and acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer. It is recorded with the clerk of the circuit court. Recording is what makes the deed effective against purchasers and creditors. A married owner's spouse joins a deed of homestead property.

The deed is subject to the transfer tax on recording. The county recording office collects its recording fee per page in every case; the prepared packet prints the office's fee schedule.

At the owner's death, if the property was not conveyed during life, the grantee holds it in fee simple, free of the life estate. No court proceeding is named in the authority that recognizes the deed; the land records show the owner's deed and, where the state uses one, a recorded affidavit of the owner's death.

The Lady Bird Deed in Florida

In Florida, the “enhanced life estate” is recognized by the state bar's title standards: a deed in which the owner conveys the property, keeps a life estate, and reserves the power to convey the whole during life. The grantee's remainder follows the owner's death only if the owner has not conveyed the property.

The owner's reserved powers in Florida are the power to sell or convey the property without the grantee and revoke or revise the deed, exercisable without the grantee's joinder or consent. Changing the deed later: A conveyance by the life tenant that clearly states the intent to divest the remainderman, where the deed creating the enhanced life estate reserved the power to divest (Standards 6.10 and 6.11, Comments). During the owner's life the grantee holds a vested remainder interest subject to divestment.

The deed is signed in the presence of 2 subscribing witnesses and acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer. It is recorded with the clerk of the circuit court, in the county where the land lies. Recording is what makes the deed effective against purchasers and creditors.

On recording, the deed is subject to the transfer tax on recording. A married owner's spouse joins a deed of homestead property, and the prepared deed carries the spouse's signature line where the owner says the property is the homestead.

At the owner's death, if the property was not conveyed during life, the grantee holds it in fee simple, free of the life estate and the reserved powers, by the deed's own terms.

In short: Florida recognizes the enhanced life estate deed, commonly called the Lady Bird deed, through the Florida Bar's Uniform Title Standards; no statute governs it. The owner keeps a life estate and the power to sell, convey or mortgage without the remainder beneficiary, who takes title at the owner's death. The deed is signed before two witnesses, and on homestead property the constitution's limits on devise of homestead can apply.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 23, 2026

Legal Sources

Show 2 more sources

Data sourced from Florida statutes and official state code. How we research.

Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

New Home

How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.

Learn more

Retirement

Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.

Learn more

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Free forms for planning your estate in Florida: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.

Free

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Florida requires 2 witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not required.

Get Started

Free

HIPAA Release

In Florida, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and genetic information expressly before a provider releases them.

Get Started

Free

Financial Power of Attorney

Florida requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacity, and it is signed before 2 witnesses and a notary.

Get Started

Free

Living Will

In Florida, the living will is the Living Will, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

Get Started

Free

Last Will and Testament

In Florida, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

Get Started

All Florida forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Free tools for planning your estate in Florida: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Florida does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

Check Now

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Florida does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.

Check Now

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Florida runs $4,320 to $6,480 and a simple will $1,320 to $2,640, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Florida, four years at a public university cost about $64,352 and the cost of living is near the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

Use Calculator

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Florida automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

Check Now

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

Check Requirements

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

Check Portability

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Florida costs an estimated $30,600. Attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonable.

Use Calculator

All Florida tools

Florida Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering Florida probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

Free Florida Lady Bird Deed

Progress0%

The Lady Bird Deed in Florida

The deed is signed in the presence of 2 subscribing witnesses and acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer. It is recorded with the clerk of the circuit court, in the county where the land lies. Recording is what makes the deed effective against purchasers and creditors.

At the owner's death, if the property was not conveyed during life, the grantee holds it in fee simple, free of the life estate and the reserved powers, by the deed's own terms.

Free Florida Lady Bird Deed

Your Information

Is this your situation?

New Home

Retirement

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Healthcare Power of Attorney

HIPAA Release

Financial Power of Attorney

Living Will

Last Will and Testament

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

How Much Does Probate Cost?

When you're ready, we're here.

Florida Estate Planning Resources

Free Florida Lady Bird Deed

Your Information