Deaf Smith County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Form
Last validated July 18, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Deaf Smith 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.

Deaf Smith 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.

Deaf Smith 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.
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Additional Texas and Deaf Smith County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Deaf Smith County Clerk's Office
Hereford, Texas 79045-5542
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 12:00 & 1:00 - 5:00pm
Phone: (806) 363-7077
Recording Tips for Deaf Smith County:
- Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
- Bring extra funds - fees can vary by document type and page count
- Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
Cities and Jurisdictions in Deaf Smith County
Properties in any of these areas use Deaf Smith County forms:
- Dawn
- Hereford
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Deaf Smith County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith County?
Recording fees in Deaf Smith County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (806) 363-7077 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 Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith 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.
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Z. L.
October 20th, 2021
I appreciate a service that can reach any county in Texas to file deed distribution deeds. It is convenient, time and money saving for our clients and takes the headache out of estate administration. Thanks.
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Eleanor W.
April 7th, 2019
I haven't taken the forms to our county clerk for recording yet so not sure they contain all needed information in the order needed but forms were easy to read, easy to save and with well documented instructions available. Thank you
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Sol B.
February 13th, 2020
Got me all the info I was looking for Thanks you deeds.com
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September 6th, 2025
The transaction was fairly simple. thank you
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February 3rd, 2019
Everything perfect, good price. Completely satisfied
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Charles S.
September 15th, 2022
I was very please with the deed, deed of trust and the deed of trust note. It save me a lot of preparation time.
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Don R.
January 26th, 2022
From Pennsylvania here. Documents are great and easy to fill out however you are lacking a couple of things. You only provide the option for a Grant Deed when you purchase by your county which is Mercer County for me. Why not give the ability to get a Warranty Deed that better protects the Grantee? Also, being from Pennsylvania and in a county that mined Buituminous Coal we are required to include the Coal Severance Notice and Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act Notice. You can check the box on your Deed form that they are required and attached but you do not provide the verbiage or form for this. You state that you know what each county requires and include everything required but you do not include these two required Notices. This has been a requirement for years and the wording never changes. I had to look for these Notices and hand type this information and include it on another seperate page after the Notary section on the Deed. The Grantor has to sign the Coal Severance Notice and be witnessed by a Notary so I had to add another place for the Notary and will have to pay twice for witnessed signatures when it could have been included in your document. My Deed from 2003 was done that way and then the Notary statement after that so it was only one notarized witness of signature.
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Tammy C.
September 24th, 2020
Was very easy to use and i would recommend it
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Rebecca C.
January 26th, 2021
Great service ! Hawaii is not a "forms state" so unfortunately the public has no way to get templates on our local gov site but deeds.com to the rescue. The template was affordable and easy to use and successfully recorded. Great to use when you don't need to involve title or attorneys for simple deed changes, thank you
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Desmond L.
December 27th, 2018
Easy access
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Carol S.
February 18th, 2022
Unfortunately for me this website was of no help, due to the amount of paperwork that needed to be submitted. One thing I can say they responded with answer really quickly. If this is a website that only deals with quick and fast deed issues, then it should indicate what they can and cannot do.
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Patricia W.
January 29th, 2019
The "Trustee's Deed" should have been labeled a Deed of Trust because that's what it really is. So now I just wasted $19.97 getting something I can't use.
Thank you for your feedback. Sorry to hear of your confusion. We have canceled your order and payment for the trustee's deed document.
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May 16th, 2024
Prompt review and submission of documents could be an appropriate tagline for this business. The attention to detail and rapid response makes the company a great go to for servicing needs related to deeds.
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February 22nd, 2024
As a real estate professional, I've had the opportunity to use various legal form providers over the years, but none have matched the quality and user-friendliness of Deeds.com's real estate legal forms. The forms themselves are comprehensive, up-to-date, and in line with current real estate laws and regulations, which is paramount in our field. The clarity and thoroughness of the documentation ensured that I could complete with confidence, knowing that every detail was covered. I wholeheartedly recommend their services and look forward to continuing our partnership.
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August 19th, 2020
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