Michigan Lady Bird Deed (Enhanced Life Estate Deed) Template (Word + PDF)

Keep total control of your Michigan home for life — and it may help your home pass without probate.

A Michigan Lady Bird deed reserves a life estate with the power to sell, mortgage, or change your mind, and can pass the property to the people you name at death, which may avoid probate for the home. Used correctly it can also help avoid an uncapping of property taxes for qualifying transfers. This template includes the recording-format requirements of MCL 565.201 and the after-death steps for the family.

What’s included

• Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deed template
• Multiple-remainderman and survivorship options
• Legal description and parcel ID blocks
• Recording-compliant notary acknowledgment and prepared-by block
• Property Transfer Affidavit reminder and after-recording instructions

Signing requirements in Michigan

Sign before a Michigan notary (witnesses are not required for a Michigan deed) and record with the county register of deeds.

Format and delivery

Fillable Word (.docx) template plus a print-ready PDF for the same document, delivered as an instant download after checkout. Every file includes plain-English completion instructions, a signing checklist, and a “common mistakes” list. Version 1.1 — legal research verified September 15, 2026.

Save with a kit

Included in the Michigan RLT Estate Plan + Lady Bird Deed Kit.

Rexford Mercantile is not a law firm, and Jonathan and Ruth Rexford are not attorneys. This is a self-help legal template with general instructions — not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. You are responsible for confirming the form fits your situation and for signing, witnessing, and notarizing it as your state requires. Consult a licensed attorney in your state if your situation involves a blended family, a beneficiary with a disability, out-of-state property, a business, or a family dispute. Digital download with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee — see our Refund Policy. © 2026 Rexford Mercantile. Licensed for the purchaser’s personal use only; not for resale or redistribution.