Texas-statutory document
Texas Retained Interest Transfer Deed (TRITD)
Tex. Prop. Code (life estates) · case-law-recognized enhanced life estate doctrine
An enhanced life estate deed for owners who want probate avoidance plus Medicaid-planning flexibility.
A Texas Retained Interest Transfer Deed (TRITD) — sometimes called a 'Lady Bird Deed' or enhanced life estate deed in older materials — conveys real property to your remainder beneficiaries while you retain a life estate AND the power to sell, mortgage, or revoke during your lifetime without their consent. Because you keep full control during life, the property is generally not exposed to Medicaid estate recovery on the same terms as a fully-conveyed life estate. Drafted by LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL with full retained-power and reservation-of-rights language.
What's included
- Texas Retained Interest Transfer Deed for one Texas property
- Retained life estate clause
- Retained power to convey, sell, mortgage, lease, and revoke without remainderman consent
- Multiple-beneficiary support with fractional or per-stirpes shares
- Legal description verification checklist
- County-clerk recording instructions with required exhibits
- Revocation procedure if your plan changes
Homeowners who want probate-avoidance like a TODD but also need the full life-time control + Medicaid-planning flexibility that comes with a retained life estate plus power of appointment. Particularly useful when long-term-care Medicaid is on the planning horizon and the TODD's narrower structure isn't sufficient.
Properties with mortgages requiring lender consent, properties already inside a trust, contested title, marital-property issues, out-of-state property, or any situation where a Medicaid-planning attorney has counseled against a retained interest. TRITDs are case-law-recognized in Texas (not statutorily codified the way TODDs are under Ch. 114) — for clients in active Medicaid-eligibility planning, route to Continuum Counsel for a full asset-protection review before drafting.
Why TexasEstates
What you actually get for the price.
Every column below is a real thing your document either has or doesn't. The Texas Estates Code doesn't care what the marketing said — it cares whether the document holds up at probate.
| Feature | TexasEstates Fixed-fee attorney service | Online template $39–$249 typical | DIY form Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney-drafted for Texas | yes | template only | no |
| Self-proving affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 251.104) | yes | sometimes | no |
| Texas Estates Code compliance | yes | generic 50-state | no |
| Fixed fee, no hourly billing | yes | yes (subscription) | n/a |
| One-business-day drafting | yes | instant download | n/a |
| Attorney review before delivery | yes | no | no |
| Held in IOLTA until services rendered | yes | no | n/a |
| Refund earn-out at each milestone | yes | no | n/a |
| Complex-matter routing (blended, trusts, business) | yes | no — sold anyway | no |
Category comparisons based on publicly-available information from major online legal-form vendors as of Feb 2026. Individual products in each category may vary.
LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL Advisory
When the form stops fitting,
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TexasEstates is for clean, common situations. For Trusts, blended families, business succession, professionals, tax-driven structures and contested matters, our advisory practice at LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL takes the matter directly.