Tulsa Estate Attorney Blog

How Can Transfer on Death Deeds Help Avoid Probate?

This post continues the series on probate avoidance by examining Transfer on Death (TOD) deeds. Building on earlier discussions of joint tenancy deeds and life estates, it explains how a TOD deed lets an owner name one or more beneficiaries to inherit real property automatically at death—while retaining full control during life and the ability to revoke the deed at any time. Especially useful for passing a primary residence or other personal property, TOD deeds streamline transfers and spare heirs the delays and costs of probate.

Read the full article for step‑by‑step guidance on using Transfer on Death deeds and other probate‑avoidance tools.

Avoiding Probate Hassles: Are Joint Tenancy Deeds the Solution?

Probate can impose lengthy delays and significant expenses on families left to settle an estate. One way to bypass this process is through a joint tenancy warranty deed, which places two or more individuals on the property deed with rights of survivorship, so ownership passes automatically at death. Another probate‑avoidance tool is a life estate: the owner retains use of the property while alive and names one or more grantees—either as joint tenants or tenants in common—to inherit the remainder interest.

Probate often imposes lengthy delays and significant fees on families settling an estate. This post explores two straightforward ways to bypass probate for real property: a joint tenancy warranty deed—which places multiple owners on title with rights of survivorship—and a life estate, allowing the owner to retain use while naming one or more beneficiaries to inherit automatically.

Probate can tie up an estate in court for months, generating legal fees and administrative delays that erode asset value and add stress for heirs. This article examines two practical, court‑free methods for transferring real property at death: joint tenancy warranty deeds and life estates. A joint tenancy warranty deed places two or more owners on title with rights of survivorship, so when one owner dies, the survivor automatically inherits the decedent’s share without probate.

Alternatively, a life estate lets the current owner retain full use and control of the property during life while naming one or more remainder beneficiaries who will receive the property interest at death. This split in interests preserves lifetime enjoyment and ensures a seamless transfer of the remainder interest, bypassing court involvement.

Key considerations—such as choosing joint tenants versus tenants in common, funding procedures, and drafting requirements—are detailed to help determine which strategy best fits different family and asset scenarios. Read the full article for an in‑depth exploration of these probate‑avoidance tools and practical guidance on implementation.

How to Avoid Probate in Oklahoma?

Learn key strategies for avoiding probate: holding property in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, establishing a revocable living trust, and using transfer‑on‑death deeds or life estates to name successors. Read the post for a full overview of these probate‑avoidance methods. Read more »