Florida law prefers typed deeds. Handwriting on a deed can invalidate it. If you print a blank form, type every single letter.
You can sell, mortgage, gift, or lease the property without notifying or obtaining consent from the beneficiaries. free printable lady bird deed florida form best
Retains your Florida Homestead property tax exemption and results in no gift tax at signing. Florida law prefers typed deeds
Consider the case of Estate of Johnson v. Smith (hypothetical but based on real Florida rulings): A widow downloaded a free Lady Bird Deed form online. She filled in her name as grantor, her daughter as remainderman, and signed it in front of a notary—but used only one witness instead of two. After her death, the daughter tried to claim the property. The probate court ruled the deed invalid because Florida law explicitly requires two witnesses for any deed affecting homestead property. The home passed through intestacy, forcing a full probate proceeding that cost $8,000 in legal fees—far more than a properly prepared deed would have cost. You can sell, mortgage, gift, or lease the
A Lady Bird Deed is a specific type of life estate deed. In a standard life estate, you (the life tenant) keep the right to live in and use the property until you die, after which it automatically passes to the remainderman. However, a standard life estate severely restricts your ability to sell or mortgage the property without the remainderman’s consent.
The Lady Bird Deed differs by granting the grantor a "enhanced life estate." Under this structure, the grantor retains: