Deed Services

A Ladybird Deed (also called an enhanced life estate deed) lets you keep full control of your property during your lifetime and automatically transfer it to a chosen beneficiary when you pass away—without going through probate court. You remain the owner while you are alive and can still sell, refinance, or change your beneficiaries.

• You sign a deed that keeps you as the current owner with an enhanced life estate.
• You name one or more beneficiaries to receive the property at your death.
• When you pass away, the property transfers directly to those beneficiaries, outside of probate.

• Avoids probate for the property at your death.
• Lets you keep full control while you are alive.
• Can coordinate with your broader estate plan and beneficiary designations.

• A ladybird deed must be drafted and signed correctly under Michigan law to work as intended.
• It should fit with, not contradict, your will or trust.
• It is not always the right tool in every situation; in some cases a trust‑based plan may be better.

Some banks and lenders are not set up to refinance loans for properties held in a revocable trust. They want the property in your own name during the mortgage process. An “in and out” deed sequence solves this problem while keeping your estate plan on track.

1. Take Out of Trust
   You sign a deed that moves the property from your trust back to your own name. This is usually done as part of the paperwork when you start the refinance with the lender.
2. Refinance
   With the property now titled in your name, the bank can complete the refinance and issue the new loan.
3. Put Back in Trust
   After the refinance closes, you sign another deed that moves the property back into your trust, so your estate plan and probate‑avoidance goals are restored.

If you forget to put the property back into your trust after refinancing, you may lose important protections. The property could end up going through probate when you die, and it may not pass according to the trust plan you intended.