What Is a Lady Bird Deed in Michigan?

A Michigan Lady Bird deed—often called an enhanced life estate deed—is a deed structure that can allow an owner to retain broad control during life while identifying who will receive the property at death.

It can be useful in the right plan, but the deed should be coordinated with the owner’s broader estate plan, title, mortgage considerations, beneficiary plan and individual objectives. A deed is not a substitute for incapacity planning, powers of attorney, health-care documents or a complete review of the estate.

Whether this technique fits depends on the property, ownership, family circumstances and planning goals. The deed language and execution also matter. Before transferring real estate, consider how the transfer interacts with the rest of the plan.