Legal Services - Document Preparation - West Palm Beach

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Probate is the process by which the court decides who will receive your real property after you pass away.  Your Will is not enough to avoid probate.  The easiest way to avoid probate is to use a Lady Bird Deed to re-title your home to name your beneficiaries so that they automatically receive your property after you pass away without the need for probate and the time and costs that go with it.  

Yes. One of the primary benefits of a Florida Lady Bird Deed is that it allows real estate to transfer directly to named beneficiaries upon the owner's death, avoiding the probate process. This can save surviving family members significant time, legal expenses, and court costs. 

No it does not!  A Will just makes the headache of Probate a little less cumbersome, but still does not avoid it.  The problem with just having a Will, it will still take up a lot of time and money until the court decides how to administer the estate. 

To find out if a lady bird deed is right for your particular situation, you should seek the advice of a qualified estate planning attorney. A Lady Bird Deed may be a good option for Florida homeowners who want to avoid probate, maintain full control of their property during their lifetime, simplify the transfer of their home to loved ones, and potentially preserve Medicaid planning benefits. It is commonly used by retirees, seniors, married couples, and homeowners seeking a simple estate planning solution. 

No.  For many Florida homeowners, a properly prepared Lady Bird Deed will help avoid probate and transfer real estate to beneficiaries without the expense of a traditional estate plan.  Our prices are significantly lower than that of an estate planning attorney.   

We are a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice or representation, so if you have a complex situation, it is advised that you seek the advice of a qualified Florida estate planning attorney.

Mail-in recording of your document usually takes less than 2 weeks at your local county clerks office.  

Yes! We offer online document preparation as well as online notarization of the prepared documents, no need to visit our office in West Palm Beach. 

Yes. Unlike many other estate planning tools, a Lady Bird Deed allows you to maintain full control of your property. You can sell, refinance, mortgage, lease, or even revoke the deed at any time without obtaining permission from your beneficiaries. 

In many cases, yes. A properly prepared Lady Bird Deed may help protect a Florida homestead from Medicaid estate recovery because ownership does not transfer until the homeowner's death. However, Medicaid rules can be complex, and specific circumstances should be reviewed carefully with a qualified elder law attorney. 

A Lady Bird Deed can cost between $1000 and $1200 or more when prepared by an attorney, and an average of $250 to $400 when prepared by a non-attorney document preparation company such as Beaches Notary & Apostille Service.  A Lady Bird Deed is typically a small fraction of the cost of probate. While probate can cost thousands of dollars in attorney fees, court costs, and administrative expenses, a Lady Bird Deed is generally prepared and recorded for a one-time fee, making it one of the most cost-effective estate planning tools available to Florida homeowners. 

1. Right to Sell or refinance: Regular- Restricted | Enhanced - Unrestricted
2. Control over beneficiaries: Regular - Irrevocable | Enhanced - Revocable
3. Medicaid Look-back: Regular - Penalized with 5 year look-back | Enhanced - No penalty
4. Creditor protection: Regular - Beneficiary creditors can attach a lien during your lifetime | Enhanced - Beneficiary creditors cannot attach liens during your lifetime.
5. Both avoid probate, however the Enhanced Lady Bird Deed has more flexibility.
6. Both generally will allow you to keep your primary homestead exemption.