St. Lucie County Lady Bird Deed Attorney
As a St. Lucie County lady bird deed attorney, I prepare and record lady bird deeds for owners of property in Port St. Lucie, Tradition, St. Lucie West, Fort Pierce, Hutchinson Island and the rest of the county, for a flat fee of $675. The $675 fee includes speaking directly with attorney Jose Lorenzo, reading your recorded deed, deed preparation, online notarization, witnesses, county recording fees, and the minimum documentary stamp charge. Documentary stamp tax above that minimum is separate, and I work it out and explain it before you decide to proceed.
A lady bird deed in Florida — also written ladybird deed, and formally called an enhanced life estate deed — keeps you the owner for life and names the people who receive the property at your death, so that property can pass without probate when the deed is valid and properly drafted. I am Jose M. Lorenzo, Jr., Florida Bar No. 107002, and I am the only attorney at this firm, so the attorney you speak with first is the one who drafts your deed. I do not have a St. Lucie County office. The deed is signed online, wherever you are, and submitted electronically to the St. Lucie County Clerk for recording.
To start: call (305) 224-6811 for a free introductory call, or use the contact form. Please do not put Social Security numbers, account numbers or medical details in the web form.
| Fee | $675 flat for one lady bird deed on one property, confirmed after I read your recorded deed; county recording fees and the minimum documentary stamp charge are included; documentary stamp tax above the minimum is separate |
| Office visit | Not needed. The deed is signed online with two witnesses in the same session |
| Where it is recorded | St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Recording Department, 201 South Indian River Drive, 4th Floor, Fort Pierce — submitted electronically |
| Recording charge | $10.00 for the first page, $8.50 for each later page (§ 28.24) |
| Documentary stamp rate | $0.70 per $100 (§ 201.02) |
| Homestead filing deadline | March 1, with the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser |
| Local point to check | The mailing city does not always tell you the county. Part of Hutchinson Island, for example, is in Martin County |
Work Directly With Jose — $675 Flat
When you hire me for a St. Lucie County lady bird deed, I take the first call, I read your recorded deed, I draft the deed, and I am the person you reach if a question comes up later. My staff handle scheduling and the recording submission; the legal work stays with me.
| Included in the $675 | Separate, and quoted before it starts | Not taken on — referred out |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking directly with attorney Jose Lorenzo Reading your recorded deed Deed preparation Online notarization Witnesses County recording fees The minimum documentary stamp charge |
Documentary stamp tax above the minimum A deed for a second property A corrective deed for an earlier instrument A probate or an ancillary administration Reviewing a will, trust or association documents |
Title search Title examination Title insurance Curative title work |
The standard $675 covers one new lady bird deed on one property. A deed for a second property, a corrective deed that replaces or fixes an earlier deed, or documents that conflict with each other are additional work that I do, quoted once I have read the recorded deed and before that work starts. A probate or an ancillary administration is also separate work. Title work is different: a title search, a title examination, title insurance, and curative work on older defective conveyances in the chain of title are not work I take on, and I refer them to a title company or a real estate attorney.
How much does a lady bird deed cost in Port St. Lucie or Fort Pierce?
The same $675 anywhere in St. Lucie County, because the law and the recording office are the same across the county. When you compare offers — attorney flat fees, notary or document services, downloadable forms — compare what sits inside the number: whether an attorney reads your recorded deed and advises you, and whether notarization, witnesses, recording fees and the minimum documentary stamp charge are included or added on.
After a death: the $475 lady bird deed review
After a death, a review of the Lady Bird deed with a 30-minute consultation is $475. That is the whole of it: a review of the recorded lady bird deed and a thirty-minute consultation. Further work — a probate, or a new or corrective deed — is scoped and quoted separately before it begins, and title work is not included. This is separate from the free introductory call, which is for people deciding whether to sign a deed in the first place. See what to do with a lady bird deed after death.
Can I Use the St. Lucie County Clerk’s Lady Bird Deed Form?
You can. The St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller publishes a sample Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) on its Self-Help Forms page, alongside a quit claim deed. The Clerk also says, in plain terms, that its office “cannot provide legal advice or any assistance with the completion of forms.” So the choice is between the Clerk’s sample form, completed by you, and a deed prepared by an attorney who has read your recorded deed and asked about your family.
What the Clerk’s sample form contains
The sample is three pages: blanks for the grantor, the grantee beneficiary and the legal description; a clause reserving to the owner a life estate with an unrestricted power to sell, gift, mortgage, lease and otherwise dispose of the property; signature lines with printed names and addresses for two witnesses per grantor; and a notary page that allows physical presence or online notarization. It is a reasonable starting point. It has no blank for an alternate if a beneficiary dies before you and no line for a spouse who is not on the title, and it cannot tell you whether your property, your marriage or your mortgage changes what the deed should say.
Recording is not a review
The Clerk records a deed that meets the recording requirements. Launching the county’s property fraud alert service in 2022, Clerk Michelle R. Miller said: “As the clerk, I don’t have the authority to vet each one that comes in” (WQCS, September 2022). A recorded deed is one the Clerk accepted for recording, not one anyone has confirmed will do what you intended.
| Who | What they do | What they do not decide |
|---|---|---|
| You, the owner | Decide who receives the property; sign the deed; keep the power to sell, mortgage or change it later | Whether the legal description, the way title is held, or a spouse’s rights affect the deed — unless someone reads the recorded deed with you |
| Jose / this deed service | Reads the recorded deed, asks the family and property questions, drafts the reserved powers, beneficiaries and alternates, and says so if a deed is the wrong instrument | Title work — a title search, examination, insurance or curative work — which is excluded from this engagement and referred to a title company or real estate attorney. Reading the recorded deed is not a title search or examination |
| The notary | Confirms the signer’s identity and completes the acknowledgment; in an online session the witnesses appear too | Whether the document is the right one for your goals |
| The Clerk | Records the deed in the Official Records if it meets the recording requirements, and makes it searchable | Whether the deed is valid, suitable or complete |
What if I have already filled in a form?
Tell me on the first call and tell me what you were trying to achieve. I will say whether a new deed prepared under the standard $675 service is the right step. Correcting a deed that has already been recorded is separate work, quoted once I have read it and before it starts. My Florida lady bird deed form guide explains what the document has to contain.
Lady bird deed or quit claim deed?
Some owners reach for a St. Lucie County quit claim deed form to put a house in a child’s name. A quit claim deed used that way transfers your interest now, and an outright transfer can affect your homestead exemption, Medicaid planning, and your exposure to the child’s creditors or divorce, and it cannot be taken back without the child’s cooperation. A lady bird deed keeps your ownership and your power to sell, mortgage or change your mind during your life, and names who receives the property at your death. Which instrument fits depends on your goal; my comparison of the lady bird deed and a quit claim deed sets them side by side.
What I Review Before Drafting
For the free introductory call, the property address, the current owner and your timing are enough. Before I confirm the fee, I read your recorded deed from the St. Lucie County Official Records. Once you have hired me, you send the remaining documents through the channel we agree on — not the public web form.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Property address and parcel ID (Property Appraiser search) | Confirms the owner of record and that the property is in St. Lucie County |
| Your last recorded deed (Clerk’s Official Records) | Source of the legal description and of how title is held; I can pull it |
| Marital status and spouse’s name | Decides whether a spouse must join on homestead |
| Beneficiaries’ full names, mailing addresses and shares | Required on the deed |
| What should happen if a beneficiary dies before you | Decides whether the deed names alternates |
| Mortgage statement, if any | Helps identify mortgage-related questions and determine any applicable documentary stamp tax |
| Existing will, trust or power of attorney | The deed and your other documents should agree |
| Condominium or HOA documents; for a manufactured home, the title status and whether the lot is owned or leased | These can change what the deed can do |
A St. Lucie County deed search by name costs nothing. The Clerk’s online index covers Official Records from 1980 to the present and older deed books from 1905 through 1960; records from 1960 to 1979 are not yet online, and a deed from those years has to be requested from the Clerk. The legal description on a new deed must come from the recorded deed, not the tax bill or the Property Appraiser’s parcel summary, which are often abbreviated.
Does my spouse have to sign?
On homestead property, treat it as required. Florida’s Constitution requires spousal joinder to transfer homestead, and a waiver of devise rights does not waive that. Married owners can use this service; what I review first is how the two of you hold title and whether the property is your homestead.
What if I have a minor child?
Then talk to me before anything is drafted. Florida’s Constitution restricts what can be done with a homestead when the owner is survived by a minor child, and in that situation a lady bird deed should not be the plan for the homestead. The detail is on my lady bird deed attorney page.
Can I name more than one beneficiary, or people who live out of state?
Yes. Several beneficiaries is common, and they can live anywhere; I need each person’s full name and mailing address. Several beneficiaries will own the property together after your death, so I also ask what should happen if one dies before you, and whether any of them — because of a divorce, creditors or needs-based benefits — should not receive the property outright.
Can I do a lady bird deed with a mortgage?
Yes; an existing mortgage does not have to be paid off first. Whether a lender could call the loan depends on the loan documents and on the federal limits in the Garn-St Germain Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3, so read the note and, if in doubt, ask the servicer. You keep the power to mortgage or refinance, subject to your lender’s requirements. The documentary stamp question on mortgaged property is covered on my tax consequences page.
Condominiums, HOAs and manufactured homes
For a condominium on Hutchinson Island or elsewhere, have the declaration and any association rules on transfers ready, and for a home in Tradition, St. Lucie West or another deed-restricted community, the association documents. Check what notice, forms or approvals your association requires, and be aware that unpaid assessments can follow the property to whoever takes it. Reviewing association documents is a separate service.
A manufactured home can pass by lady bird deed only if its motor vehicle title has been retired under § 319.261, which requires the home to be permanently affixed and requires you to own the land, or to hold a recorded lease of it for thirty years or more. On an ordinary rented lot the home is personal property and a deed conveys nothing; it transfers by certificate of title instead. Some 55+ manufactured-home communities in and around Port St. Lucie include both owned lots and leased lots, so check both the title status and the lot before asking for a deed.
What if the property is in a trust or an LLC?
Tell me on the first call. If the recorded deed shows a trustee or a company holding title, a lady bird deed from you may not be the right instrument, and the answer depends on what the recorded documents say.
How Signing and St. Lucie Recording Work
- Free introductory call. You tell me about the property, the family and your timing. The call can be arranged by a family member, but the owner is the client: I speak with the owner directly and confirm who may join the call.
- Recorded deed read, suitability and fee confirmed. I read your recorded deed and tell you whether a lady bird deed fits and whether the standard $675 applies, before any drafting.
- Engagement and payment. A payment link is sent, or payment is made by wire transfer where possible. You send any remaining documents through the channel we agree on, and I confirm your instructions by phone and email.
- Drafting. The deed is usually ready for signing 24 to 48 hours after I have spoken with you, been hired to prepare it, and had you confirm the instructions.
- Online signing. You sign on a device with a camera, before an online notary, with two witnesses in the same session and a valid, unexpired photo ID.
- Recording. We submit the deed electronically to the Clerk’s Recording Department, and the recorded copy goes to you and to anyone you authorize me to send it to.
Can I sign from a hospital or assisted living facility?
Often, yes, but it is conditional. Signings are online, including from home, assisted living or a hospital; I do not come to the bedside, and I speak with you by phone before any signing. What decides whether the signing goes ahead is not only the camera, the ID and the identity check. You must be able to understand the deed and what it does, and the execution and notarization requirements must be met. Under section 117.107(5) a Florida notary has a duty to refuse to notarize if it appears the signer is not mentally capable of understanding the nature and effect of the document. Being in a hospital does not by itself rule a signing out.
Where do I record a deed in St. Lucie County?
With the Recording Department of the St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — the office most people call the St. Lucie County Clerk of Court — at 201 South Indian River Drive, 4th Floor, Fort Pierce, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; mailing address P.O. Box 700, Fort Pierce, FL 34954; (772) 462-6900. The Clerk accepts deeds by electronic recording through approved vendors (questions: 772-462-6928), which is how I file, so nobody needs to go to the courthouse. Recording is $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each later page, so a four-page deed records for $35.50; that and the minimum documentary stamp charge are inside the $675.
Does a lady bird deed have to be recorded and notarized?
It needs two subscribing witnesses and a notary, and it should be recorded during your lifetime: failing to record it can expose your beneficiaries’ interest to competing claims, such as those of a later buyer or creditor. Once recorded, it is a public record that anyone can find in the St. Lucie County Official Records, including the names of the people you named.
After recording: Property Fraud Alert and deed-copy letters
Register for the Clerk’s free Property Fraud Alert, which sends an email and text within 24 hours when a document is recorded in a name you registered (up to five names). It gives early warning; it does not stop a document being recorded. You may also receive mailed offers to sell you a copy of your deed; the Property Appraiser warns these are solicitations, not bills. A copy of a recorded deed comes from the Clerk, and in a matter I handle the recorded copy comes to you from me. Once the deed is recorded, a call to the Property Appraiser at 772-462-1000 to confirm your St. Lucie County homestead exemption is still on the roll is worthwhile.
Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and the Rest of St. Lucie County
The deed and the recording office are the same everywhere in the county; there is no separate Port St. Lucie or Fort Pierce version. What differs is the property, whether the owner lives in it, and sometimes whether it is in St. Lucie County at all. Hutchinson Island is split: the northern part, with Fort Pierce addresses, is in St. Lucie County, while the southern part, with Jensen Beach and Stuart addresses, is in Martin County, where deeds are recorded in Stuart. Near any county line, the county — not the mailing city — decides where the deed is recorded, and I confirm it from the recorded deed before drafting.
Port St. Lucie is the county’s largest city and one of the fastest-growing in the country, and Tradition, Port St. Lucie’s master-planned community on the west side of the city, has grown with it. Fort Pierce is the county seat, where the Clerk’s Recording Department sits.
Hypothetical — a Fort Pierce house owned since the 1970s. A son in Georgia calls about his father’s house in Fort Pierce. I speak with the father directly, confirm his wishes by phone and email, and confirm that his son may join the calls. The deed that put the house in the father’s name was recorded in the 1970s, in the years not yet in the Clerk’s online index, so we request a copy from the Clerk and I read it before quoting. The father signs online from home, and the recorded copy goes to him and to the son he authorizes me to send it to.
Hypothetical — a Tradition home arranged from New Jersey. A widowed owner in Tradition wants her home to go to her two daughters, one of whom makes the first call from New Jersey. I speak with the owner directly, read the recorded deed, ask what should happen if either daughter dies first, and draft the deed. She signs online from home, and we submit the deed to the Clerk electronically.
Hypothetical — a Hutchinson Island condominium. A couple in Ohio own a condominium on Hutchinson Island with a Fort Pierce address. I confirm from the recorded deed that the unit is in St. Lucie County, tell them whether the declaration needs a separate review, and draft the deed. They sign online from Ohio, and I point them to the Clerk’s Property Fraud Alert.
If you are arranging a deed for a parent, see helping a parent get a Florida lady bird deed; if you live outside Florida, see Florida lady bird deeds for out-of-state property owners.
Homestead, Medicaid and Probate: Short Answers
Does a lady bird deed affect my homestead exemption?
On the home you actually live in, it should not, because you have not stopped owning or occupying it. The Clerk’s own recording page notes that recording a new deed may affect property tax exemptions, which is why the call to the Property Appraiser above is worth making. After the owner’s death, the property is generally reassessed at just value on January 1 of the following year unless a statutory exception applies, so the Save Our Homes benefit does not simply pass to whoever inherits. On a second home or rental, which carries a separate assessment limitation, confirm with the Property Appraiser how the proposed deed would affect the existing limitation before it is recorded.
Does a lady bird deed affect Medicaid?
Three questions are involved, and they have different answers. On transfer penalties, Florida’s Department of Children and Families policy manual addresses the deed directly: section 1640.0613.01 treats a lady bird deed, or life estate with powers, as a situation in which no transfer has occurred. On eligibility, the owner keeps the rights of ownership, so the property is counted like any other real property the applicant owns and may be excluded if it qualifies as homestead; the deed does not by itself make anyone eligible. On estate recovery, Florida currently recovers through a claim against the recipient’s probate estate under the Medicaid Estate Recovery Act, § 409.9101, and property that passes under a valid lady bird deed generally does not become part of that estate; that is current law, which can change. If a nursing home stay or an application is already in view, the deed should be part of a broader plan. My lady bird deed attorney page covers this in more detail.
What happens if there is no lady bird deed?
Not every estate needs probate; whether this property does depends on how title is held and what else passes outside probate. Where a probate is needed, section 733.101 sets the county: the county where the owner was domiciled in Florida, or, if the owner had no Florida domicile, a county where the owner’s property is located. So a St. Lucie County house does not by itself mean a St. Lucie County probate. For St. Lucie County estates, my Port St. Lucie probate page explains how probate runs here, including the shorter routes some estates qualify for.
When a Will or Trust Belongs in the Conversation
A lady bird deed deals with one property. It does not reach bank accounts or other assets, and it does nothing if you become incapacitated; a durable power of attorney and a health care surrogate designation do that (see whether a power of attorney can sign a lady bird deed). It also passes the property outright, which may not suit a beneficiary facing a divorce, creditors or needs-based benefits. Where there are several properties, a blended family, a minor or vulnerable beneficiary, or a concern about incapacity, a trust — sometimes combined with a deed naming the trust, or a special needs trust — may suit better, and whether it does depends on the family and the property. My comparison of the lady bird deed and a living trust works through it. For the parcel it describes, a lady bird deed controls over your will, so the two should agree; reviewing your will or trust is a separate service.
Questions Before Hiring for a St. Lucie County Lady Bird Deed
Do I need to visit an office in St. Lucie County?
No. The introductory call is by phone, the deed is signed online, and it is submitted electronically to the Clerk in Fort Pierce. The nearest lawyer is not necessarily the right one; what matters is whether the person drafting the deed reads your recorded deed first.
Does the Clerk prepare the deed for me?
No. The Clerk records deeds and publishes a sample form, but states that it cannot provide legal advice or any assistance with the completion of forms.
Is my Hutchinson Island condominium in St. Lucie or Martin County?
It depends where on the island it sits. Units with Fort Pierce addresses are generally in St. Lucie County; units with Jensen Beach or Stuart addresses are in Martin County. The Property Appraiser’s record settles it, and I confirm it from the recorded deed.
Can I use the $675 service for a second home or a condominium?
Yes. The $675 covers one lady bird deed on one property, whether it is your homestead, a second home or a condominium unit, with county recording fees and the minimum documentary stamp charge included. Documentary stamp tax above the minimum is separate. A declaration review, if needed, is a separate service.
Can I change beneficiaries, revoke the deed or sell later?
Yes, without a signature from anyone named in the deed, though spouse, co-owner and lender requirements still apply. Changing or undoing the deed takes another recorded instrument; recording nothing leaves the old deed in the public record. If you divorce, revise it.
Can a lady bird deed be contested?
Yes, as any deed can, most often on capacity or undue influence. See whether a lady bird deed can be contested in Florida.
Talk to a St. Lucie County Lady Bird Deed Attorney
To speak directly with me about a lady bird deed for property in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Tradition or anywhere else in St. Lucie County, call (305) 224-6811 or use the contact form. The introductory call is free. On the first call, we discuss your goals and the property. I confirm whether a lady bird deed is appropriate after reviewing your recorded deed and the relevant family and ownership facts. The $675 fee includes speaking directly with attorney Jose Lorenzo, reading your recorded deed, deed preparation, online notarization, witnesses, county recording fees, and the minimum documentary stamp charge; documentary stamp tax above the minimum is separate.
Related reading: the Florida lady bird deed guide, and my Palm Beach County and Brevard County pages for the neighboring coast.
Last updated: September 24, 2026.
Written and reviewed by Jose M. Lorenzo, Jr., attorney, Florida Bar No. 107002.
This page is general information about Florida law and does not constitute legal advice for any particular situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.