Brevard County Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed Form
Last validated June 1, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Brevard County Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed Form
Fill in the blank Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed form formatted to comply with all Florida recording and content requirements.

Brevard County Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed form.

Brevard County Completed Example of the Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed Document
Example of a properly completed Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed document for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
Immediate Download • Secure Checkout
Additional Florida and Brevard County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Clerk of Court
Titusville, Florida 32780
Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (321) 637-2006
Parkway Complex
Titusville, Florida 32780
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F
Phone: Phone (321) 637-2006
Moore Justice Center
Viera, Florida 32940
Hours: 8:00 - 5:00 M-F
Phone: (321) 637-2006
Melbourne Branch Courthouse
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Hours: 8:00 - 5:00 M-F
Phone: (321) 637-2006
Merritt Island Office
Merritt Island, Florida 32953
Hours: 8:00 - 5:00 M-F
Phone: (321) 637-2006
Palm Bay Office
Palm Bay, Florida 32909
Hours: 8:00 - 5:00 M-F
Phone: (321) 637-2006
For Mail: Recording Department
Titusville, Florida 32781-2767
Hours:
Phone: N/A
For Overnight Delivery: Clerk of Court
Titusville, Florida 32780-4015
Hours:
Phone: N/A
Recording Tips for Brevard County:
- Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
- Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
- Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
- Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
Cities and Jurisdictions in Brevard County
Properties in any of these areas use Brevard County forms:
- Cape Canaveral
- Cocoa
- Cocoa Beach
- Grant
- Indialantic
- Malabar
- Melbourne
- Melbourne Beach
- Merritt Island
- Mims
- Orlando
- Palm Bay
- Patrick Afb
- Rockledge
- Satellite Beach
- Scottsmoor
- Sebastian
- Sharpes
- Titusville
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Brevard County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Brevard County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Brevard County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Brevard County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.
Can I reuse these forms?
Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Brevard County you only need to order once.
What do I need to use these forms?
The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.
Are there any recurring fees?
No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.
How much does it cost to record in Brevard County?
Recording fees in Brevard County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (321) 637-2006 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
The Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deed — commonly called a Lady Bird Deed — in quitclaim form is a non-probate transfer tool used in only a small group of states, and Florida's version operates under rules that set it apart. Florida has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, so unlike most of the country, Florida property owners cannot use a transfer-on-death deed; the Lady Bird Deed fills that gap. The instrument is not a creature of statute. It exists by virtue of common-law principles, decades of title-industry acceptance, and recognition by the Florida Bar's Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. The grantor reserves a life estate enhanced with the unilateral power to sell, mortgage, lease, or revoke the deed without the remainder beneficiary's consent — and because the property passes outside probate at death, it sits outside the reach of Florida's probate-limited Medicaid estate recovery program (Section 409.9101, Florida Statutes). For a Florida property owner, that combination — homestead-friendly during life, probate-avoiding at death, Medicaid-compatible — is the central reason the deed is used.
What the Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Quitclaim) Does and When It Is Used
The grantor conveys a remainder interest to one or more named beneficiaries while keeping a life estate that includes the unilateral right to sell, encumber, gift, or revoke. Title vests in the remainder beneficiary automatically at the grantor's death without probate administration. In Florida, this deed is most commonly used by single-property owners who want to keep full control of a home during life, pass it to a chosen beneficiary at death, preserve the homestead exemption while alive, and avoid the cost and delay of probate on the home. The quitclaim form transfers whatever interest the grantor holds without warranties of title — the form most often used in Florida estate planning between family members.
Statutory Framework — Why Florida's Lady Bird Deed Is Different
Florida has no Lady Bird Deed statute. There is no enabling section in Chapter 689 (conveyances) or elsewhere in the Florida Statutes. The instrument is enforced based on the grantor's expressly reserved powers, the doctrine that a fee owner may convey a remainder while retaining a life estate enlarged by reserved powers of disposition, and consistent acceptance by Florida title insurers. The practical consequence is that the language of the reservation matters. Florida deeds in this form must spell out the reserved powers explicitly — to sell, convey, mortgage, lease, gift, encumber, and revoke without joinder of the remainder beneficiary — because there is no statute to fill in the gaps if the language is thin.
Florida Homestead — The Largest Trap
If the property is the grantor's homestead, two constitutional rules in Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution control before any deed language does:
- Spousal joinder. A married owner cannot alienate homestead without the spouse's joinder, even if the spouse does not appear on title. The non-titled spouse must sign the deed. Failure to obtain spousal joinder renders the conveyance void as to homestead.
- Restriction on devise. If the owner is survived by a spouse or a minor child, homestead cannot pass to anyone other than the spouse, with limited exceptions (Section 732.4015, Florida Statutes; descent under Section 732.401). Florida title insurers commonly decline to insure title passing under a Lady Bird Deed that conflicts with the homestead descent rules, even though the remainder interest is technically conveyed during the grantor's lifetime — meaning a Lady Bird Deed naming a non-spouse remainder beneficiary on homestead is risky when the grantor is married or has minor children.
The deed should include a clear recital of the grantor's marital status and, where the property is homestead and the grantor is married, the spouse's signature in the appropriate capacity.
Execution Requirements
Florida requires more witnesses than most states. Section 689.01, Florida Statutes, requires two subscribing witnesses to the grantor's signature on a deed conveying real property. Section 695.03 requires acknowledgment before a notary public or other authorized officer for the deed to be entitled to recording. The notary may serve as one of the two witnesses, but a second separate witness is still required. Each witness must sign in the grantor's presence.
Section 695.26 — Recording Format Requirements
Florida's recording-format rules under Section 695.26, Florida Statutes, are mechanical and frequently cause clerk rejections:
- The name of each person who executed the deed must be legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped beneath the signature.
- The post-office address of each grantor and grantee must appear on the face of the deed.
- The name and address of the natural person who prepared the instrument must appear on the face of the deed.
- A 3-inch by 3-inch space must be reserved at the top right of the first page for the clerk's recording stamp; a 1-inch margin is required on the remaining sides and on subsequent pages.
- Each witness's name must be printed beneath the witness signature.
Many otherwise valid Florida deeds are returned by clerks for failing one of these formatting rules.
Documentary Stamp Tax
Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax on deeds at $0.70 per $100 of consideration under Section 201.02, Florida Statutes (Miami-Dade County applies $0.60 per $100 plus a 45-cent surtax on transfers other than single-family residences). On a Lady Bird Deed used for estate planning, consideration is typically nominal — but if the property is encumbered by a mortgage and the remainder beneficiary will take subject to the loan, the unpaid principal balance is treated as consideration and tax is computed on it. The minimum tax is $0.70. The tax is paid to the clerk of court at recording.
Property Tax — Save Our Homes and the Homestead Exemption
The Florida Lady Bird Deed is generally not treated as a change of ownership during the grantor's lifetime under Section 193.155, Florida Statutes, because the grantor retains all incidents of ownership and the unilateral power to revoke. The Save Our Homes assessment cap and the homestead exemption therefore continue uninterrupted while the grantor is alive. At the grantor's death, whether the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap transfer to the remainder beneficiary depends on the beneficiary's eligibility — Florida residency, ownership of the property as a permanent home, and timely application with the county property appraiser. The cap does not automatically port to a non-homesteading remainder beneficiary.
Recording
The deed is recorded in the official records of the county where the property is located (Section 695.01, Florida Statutes), and the clerk of court collects the recording fee under Section 28.24 (per-page fees plus an indexing fee when the deed names more than four parties) along with the documentary stamp tax. Prompt recording matters: an unrecorded deed is not effective against subsequent purchasers and creditors without notice. Lady Bird Deeds should be recorded during the grantor's lifetime, not held for recording at death — leaving the deed unrecorded creates priority and notice problems and complicates the grantor's title insurance coverage.
Vesting Among Multiple Remainder Beneficiaries
When the deed names more than one remainder beneficiary, Florida defaults to a tenancy in common unless the deed expressly creates a joint tenancy with right of survivorship or a tenancy by the entireties between spouses. To establish survivorship between non-spouse beneficiaries, the deed must include explicit survivorship language — Florida does not presume survivorship from words like "jointly." Tenancy by the entireties is presumed for a husband and wife taking together unless the deed says otherwise.
What's Included in the Download Package
- The Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird) — quitclaim form, formatted to Section 695.26 recording requirements
- Step-by-step completion guidelines covering the reserved powers language, marital status recital, witness and notary blocks, and homestead considerations
- A completed example illustrating a typical Florida transaction
Important: Your property must be located in Brevard County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Brevard County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Brevard County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.
Save Time and Money
Get your Brevard County Enhanced Life Estate Deed Quitclaim Ladybird Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.
4.8 out of 5 - ( 4729 Reviews )
Sawnie A.
July 29th, 2020
the deeds and related materials themselves are excellent but the PDF application is awful plus there is no way to customize the documents for specific purposes, so I had to type them from scratch in each instance.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
David D.
September 20th, 2022
Two thumbs up!
Thank you!
Greg R.
January 17th, 2024
Great service especially living out of state for the documents in the state I required. Easy to use, understand forms with instructions and examples.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
AKILAH S.
March 14th, 2024
It was a little challenging and I had to call to speak to someone a few time but I got it done and and over with so I'm happy.
It was a pleasure serving you. Thank you for the positive feedback!
David G.
September 2nd, 2020
Fill in the blanks portions are so limited, it makes it almost impossible to use.
Sorry to hear that David. Your order and payment has been canceled. We do hope that you find something more suitable to your needs elsewhere.
Jan H.
October 15th, 2020
This is a great service. It was easy to find and the instructions were complete and easy to follow.
Thank you!
mary c.
May 24th, 2022
Really good product, included guide to filling out forms. Totally pleased with that part. Customer service however was terrible. Did not hear back after I sent two emails. The site signed me up but after I was accepted they would not allow me to download a form, with the notation my account was closed. Had to use another email. Had problems with that. Finally got off of site and went to a login site that allowed me to download the forms. If you can get past setting up your account, it is fantastic site. Nice price compared to alternatives. Also I recieved two validation codes. Have no idea why they were sent.
Thank you!
Gene N.
November 11th, 2021
My mind is blown! For some reason, our veteran title companies wouldn't record our deed but luckily, the assessor's page recommended Deeds and other sites to e-record. It was so simple and so convenient!
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Kathleen M.
December 29th, 2023
I am very happy with this service
Your kind words have brightened our teams day! Thank you for the positive feedback.
Mark S.
January 31st, 2021
Excellent service, quick and very efficient! Thanks for your great service!
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Christopher W.
July 29th, 2022
Completed in 1 day and no problems filing a deed in another county. Price was less than the gas I would have used, not to mention my time. Thanks
Thank you!
Bea Lou H.
December 2nd, 2022
easy access and easy to find what I was looking for. Thank you
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
ADEREMI O.
March 23rd, 2021
Your product is amazing !
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Gene L.
August 5th, 2020
Worked perfect. Thanks.
Thank you!
Dennis F.
December 20th, 2024
The release of mortgage form was OK, and accepted at the recorder's office, but there were some problems. Many of the fields to type in were too small to accept the data, and I could not find a way to change the field size or use a smaller font. Otherwise I was satisfied.
Your feedback is a crucial part of our dedication to ongoing improvement. Thank you for your insightful comments.