According to this column a beneficiary deed can be a good way for a person to transfer their real estate without going through the probate process. The States of Kansas and Missouri both currently have statutes that allow for the non-probate transfer of real estate through a beneficiary deed, and California is making efforts to adopt a similar piece of legislation. In the past the only other way for a single person to avoid probating their home besides adding a person to the title while alive was to hold the title in trust. Under the new policy homeowners in States that allow for this will be able to sign an instrument called a Simple Revocable Transfer on Death Deed. This deed will identify the new owner of the house after the death of the current owner. This column discusses some of the formalities that are required when creating such a document.
See What is a Beneficiary Deed?, The Law Offices of Kyle E. Krull P.A., November 16, 2015.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
