An Enhanced Life Estate Deed, often called a “Lady Bird Deed,” is a legal document that allows property owners to retain control over their property during their lifetime while designating a beneficiary to inherit it upon death without probate. Unlike a TODD, a Lady Bird Deed (enhanced life estate deed) is not codified in Texas law but is instead a long-recognized common-law deed in which the grantor reserves an enhanced life estate with broad powers of disposition; although not statutory, Texas courts and title companies accept Lady Bird Deeds as a valid method for transferring property outside probate.
