Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Form

Last validated July 18, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Form

Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Form

Fill in the blank Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) form formatted to comply with all Texas recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/18/2026
Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Guide

Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) form.

Document Last Validated 7/18/2026
Dallas County Completed Example of the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Document

Dallas County Completed Example of the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Document

Example of a properly completed Texas Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) document for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/18/2026

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Dallas County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Dallas County Clerk

Address:
Renaissance Tower - 1201 Elm St, 22nd floor, Ste 2200G
Dallas, Texas 75270

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F

Phone: 214-653-7099 press 7

Recording Tips for Dallas County:
  • Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
  • Recording fees may differ from what's posted online - verify current rates
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
  • Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
  • Have the property address and parcel number ready

Cities and Jurisdictions in Dallas County

Properties in any of these areas use Dallas County forms:

  • Addison
  • Carrollton
  • Cedar Hill
  • Coppell
  • Dallas
  • Desoto
  • Duncanville
  • Garland
  • Grand Prairie
  • Hutchins
  • Irving
  • Lancaster
  • Mesquite
  • Richardson
  • Rowlett
  • Sachse
  • Seagoville
  • Sunnyvale
  • Wilmer

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Dallas County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Dallas 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 Dallas County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Dallas 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 Dallas 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 Dallas County?

Recording fees in Dallas County vary. Contact the recorder's office at 214-653-7099 press 7 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

The Texas lady bird deed occupies an unusual place in the deed catalog: no statute creates it, no official form exists for it, and Texas title and estate planning practice has relied on it for decades anyway. Formally an enhanced life estate deed, it conveys property to a named grantee now while the grantor keeps a life estate coupled with the power to sell, mortgage, lease, gift, or otherwise dispose of the property at any time, without the grantee's signature or consent. Whatever remains at the grantor's death passes to the grantee automatically, outside probate.

A life estate with the powers kept

A traditional life estate deed hands real leverage to the remainder holder: the life tenant cannot sell or refinance without the remainderman joining in. The enhanced version removes that leverage. This form's reservation keeps the full possession, use, rents, and income of the property for the grantor's life, together with an unrestricted lifetime power of disposition and the right to keep all proceeds. A disposition by the grantor during life divests the grantee's interest to that extent; a conveyance of the whole property leaves the grantee with nothing. That retained power is why the arrangement is described as revocable in effect.

Where the deed gets its authority

The lady bird deed rests on Texas common law and the general conveyance statutes rather than an enabling act. Property Code Chapter 5 supplies the writing, signing, and delivery requirements, and this form uses its Section 5.023 mechanism to exclude the implied covenants expressly, so the conveyance is made without warranty of title. When the legislature codified the transfer on death deed in 2015, Estates Code Section 114.004 preserved other lawful transfer methods, leaving the common law instrument standing alongside the statutory one. The two differ where it counts: a transfer on death deed cannot be created through a power of attorney and is effective only if recorded before death, while the lady bird deed operates as a present conveyance under ordinary deed law.

Medicaid, MERP, and the probate line

Much of the deed's reputation comes from Medicaid administration. Texas estate recovery reaches the probate estate, and property passing under a recorded lady bird deed never enters it. The state's MEPD Handbook likewise treats a properly structured enhanced life estate transfer of the home as outside the transfer penalty rules. Both positions are administrative policy rather than statute, a distinction the guide explains plainly along with the deed's other limits: liens follow the property, and the grantor's homestead and property tax exemptions continue because the grantor remains an owner in possession.

One grantor, sometimes two signatures

This variant recites a single grantor. Because the deed is a lifetime conveyance, a married grantor conveying homestead brings Family Code Section 5.001 into play, and the form carries a labeled joining spouse signature block with its own notary certificate for that situation; the joining spouse conveys nothing and simply evidences the statutory joinder. The deed is formatted for Texas recording standards and opens with the Property Code Section 11.008 confidentiality notice. The download includes the fillable blank, a completed example on a realistic Williamson County fact pattern, and a plain language guide walking through every numbered section; the materials are informational and are not legal advice.

Important: Your property must be located in Dallas County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) meets all recording requirements specific to Dallas County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Dallas 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 Dallas County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) 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 - ( 4762 Reviews )

Lila L.

December 30th, 2020

Everyone was very responsive and helpful. Thank you. I give you a 5!!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Gary G.

June 26th, 2019

Ordered the forms I needed for my state and county and everything worked out perfectly. All the forms came with examples (filled in) and very detailed instructions for each block that required an entry. I was able to fill everything out on my computer and save the files for future use, if required. Deeds provides an excellent product. I highly recommend their products and will use their services again.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Kathy L.

January 30th, 2022

Review: There are 10 PDFs in this warranty deed package. I don't even know what to do with them all. I don't think the directions are clear enough on how to put it all together. I probably won't use it, and feel I have wasted my money.

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that the volume of documents required to complete your task was more than you anticipated. It is rare that we get complaints about providing everything needed. We certainly don't want you to be overwhelmed or feel like you have wasted your money. Your order and payment has been canceled and we do hope that you find something more suitable to your needs elsewhere. Have a wonderful day.

Kathy Ann M.

June 26th, 2020

Got the report. However, Retrieving process was not clear.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Jennifer E.

March 8th, 2024

Very fast Process to get this to ROD

Reply from Staff

We are grateful for your feedback and looking forward to serving you again. Thank you!

Valerie I.

November 19th, 2020

Quick and easy! Had my document submitted to the county and back in one day. Good rates as well!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Johnnie W.

June 26th, 2023

Five stars for quick retrieval/no hassle of forms. Will review them again once I have completed the forms and they have been accepted.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Kenneth R.

October 12th, 2021

Thank you. After searching for the correct forms and instructions on my county website, and finding nothing, I was very pleased with the Pinal County, AZ, acceptable forms and instructions I was able to download at a very reasonable cost from Deeds.com.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Angela J M.

September 29th, 2023

Quick turnaround (about 24hrs) easy process.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Tammy A.

February 12th, 2026

I transferred my property to my child when I moved to another state. I don't know what I would have done without Deeds.com. I was able to find all of the forms and instructions for the state where the property was located. Highly recommend!

Reply from Staff

Thank you, Tammy. We’re honored to have been part of such an important transition for you. We’re glad the forms and state-specific instructions made the process clear and manageable. We truly appreciate your recommendation!

steven L.

April 8th, 2020

download was fast and easy. if no problems with county recorder i will give 5 stars

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Michael W.

November 16th, 2021

So far the web site and the tools are a pleasure to use. The price is reasonable. If only getting rid of this timeshare in Mashpee Massachusetts (that I have owned for over thirty years) was this easy.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Joyce H.

August 11th, 2020

I found the site very easy to use and upfront about the cost. I had tried two other sites both of which had hidden costs until after I filled out the forms.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Marlene B.

February 21st, 2024

I appreciated the fact that the forms were by Texas County and I knew I had the right form. The form were fairly easy to complete. I had trouble completing the form because the property description was long and kept disappearing and I had to re-type. It would also have helped it I could have saved and not had to start over every time.

Reply from Staff

Your satisfaction with our services is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for letting us know how we did!

Jay W.

February 7th, 2019

your service is more than I expected easy to navigate, great info, easy to understand. other other sites every time you go to next page there is something to buy to get the info you want. Jay

Reply from Staff

Thank you!