Why St. Augustine Homeowners Use a Lady Bird Deed
Plenty of St. Augustine families assume a will handles the house. It does not; a will still goes through probate. A lady bird deed (its formal name is an enhanced life estate deed) answers it quietly. The home passes to the people you name the moment you die, with no probate, and you keep complete control while you are alive. You can sell it, borrow against it, or change your mind, all without anyone's permission.
St. Augustine has a median age of 50 and 27 percent over 65, older than the Florida average. Planning demand among the 15,351 residents reflects a blend of retirees and historic homeowners. A median home value of $439,800 in St. Johns County puts Florida homestead protection at the center of the plan. With a median home value around $439,800, keeping that value out of probate and protecting the step-up in basis matters here. See exactly how a lady bird deed works → You do not need a lawyer with an office in St. Augustine, because the deed records in St. Johns County no matter where it is drafted. Here is how working with a Florida lady bird deed attorney runs, wherever you are.
Recording a Lady Bird Deed in St. Johns County
A deed only protects your family once it is properly recorded, and in St. Johns County that happens with the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. The St. Johns County recording office sits at 4010 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine, but we e-record your deed electronically, so you never make the trip. The cost to record is modest and set by Florida law, the same in every county, usually around $18 to $30. The Department of Revenue has ruled that an enhanced life estate deed is not subject to documentary stamp tax, and in practice the deed is recorded with a nominal recital and a seventy cent stamp. We pull your exact legal description from the last recorded deed, prepare the document, and e-record it for you, so nothing depends on you driving to a courthouse.
Notary Services in St. Augustine
The firm prepares your deed or trust and most clients sign from home by online notarization, with the firm arranging the notary and the two witnesses by video. Some people prefer to sign on paper in person. A Florida deed must be signed in front of two witnesses and acknowledged before a notary, so you need to bring two adult witnesses who are not named in the deed. Do not count on the store to supply witnesses. Call the store first to confirm a notary is on duty that day.
| Store | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| The UPS Store #0939Anastasia Publix Plaza Across From Bank Of America | 1093 A1a Beach Blvd, Saint Augustine 32080 | (904) 471-4200 | Mon to Fri 8 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 10 am to 3:30 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #2664Winn-Dixie Shopping Center/North End Of Town | 3501 N Ponce De Leon Blvd, Ste B, Saint Augustine 32084 | (904) 824-3444 | Mon to Fri 8 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 10 am to 3:30 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #6859Moultrie Plaza | 4255 US Hwy 1 South, Ste 18, Saint Augustine 32086 | (904) 615-1976 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 7 pm · Sat 9 am to 3 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #30606 Doors Down From Publix | 135 Jenkins St, Ste 105-B, Saint Augustine 32086 | (904) 825-2300 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 9 am to 5 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #6113Next To Publix At Corner Of Intl Golf Pkwy & Hwy16 Corner | 52 Tuscan Way, Ste 202, Saint Augustine 32092 | (904) 217-0890 | Mon to Fri 8 am to 6 pm · Sat 9 am to 5 pm · Sun 11 am to 4 pm |
| The UPS Store #8299 | 1985 Silverleaf Pkwy, Suite 103, Saint Augustine 32092 | Mon to Sun closed | |
| The UPS Store #8367 | 2895 Sr-16 E, Ste 140., Saint Augustine 32092 | (904) 289-3380 | Mon to Sun closed |
| The UPS Store #7067 | 120 Palencia Village Dr, #C-105, Saint Augustine 32095 | (904) 829-0116 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 7 pm · Sat 9 am to 3 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
Hours read from each store’s own page on October 30, 2026. Confirm by phone before you go.
The Mistakes We Fix for St. Johns County Families
The cheap way usually costs the most. A plain gift of the home to the kids loses the step-up in basis (a tax break that can save the family tens of thousands when they sell) and can trigger Florida's five-year Medicaid penalty. A do-it-yourself form often misses the homestead and spousal rules, which can quietly void the deed for a married owner. We handle those checks as part of the flat fee, so the deed actually holds up. What a valid form must contain → · when a deed is the wrong tool →
One home, one deed, no probate for your St. Augustine family.
A free consultation confirms a lady bird deed fits, by phone or video. If a trust is the better tool, we will tell you that too.
Book a free consultationWhat It Costs
Our flat fee is $399 for an individual owner and $449 for a joint deed, the same price the form mills charge, with a real attorney behind it. On top of that you pay only the government recording cost and the documentary stamp, passed through with no markup. The fee is posted up front and honored for 90 days. See the full cost breakdown →
Communities We Serve Near St. Augustine
We work with homeowners across St. Johns County, and the surrounding area. StepUpLaw is a Miami firm serving St. Augustine families wherever you are; this is not a St. Augustine office, and we frame our work that way out of respect for Florida's advertising rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a St. Augustine office to set up a lady bird deed?
No. StepUpLaw is a Miami firm that serves St. Augustine and St. Johns County homeowners by phone and video, with the deed signed by remote online notary and e-recorded in your county. Many of our clients are adult children handling a Florida parent's home from another state.
Where does a St. Augustine lady bird deed get recorded?
With the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, in the county where the property sits. Recording fees are set by Florida law and are the same in every county, usually about $18 to $30 for a deed like this. The Department of Revenue has ruled that an enhanced life estate deed is not subject to documentary stamp tax, and in practice the deed is recorded with a nominal recital and a seventy cent stamp.
Will a lady bird deed help my St. Augustine home avoid Medicaid estate recovery?
Yes. Florida only recovers Medicaid costs from the probate estate. Because a lady bird deed passes the home outside probate, it stays out of recovery's reach, while your homestead also stays exempt during your lifetime. It is one of the main reasons St. Johns County families use it.
Can the notary be one of the two witnesses on my St. Augustine deed?
Yes, when the notary watches you sign and also signs on a witness line with a mailing address. A notary who only completes the acknowledgment is not a second witness, and a deed with one witness and a notary is a witness short. Florida law cures a missing witness five years after the deed is recorded, absent fraud, so recording promptly with the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller is also what starts that clock.
Can I still sell my St. Augustine home after signing?
Yes, and that is the whole point of the "enhanced" part. You keep the right to sell, refinance, rent, or change your mind, all without asking the beneficiaries. If the home is your homestead and you are married, your spouse still joins the deed for a sale or mortgage.
Updated October 18, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate and tax planning, business structuring, and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve St. Augustine and St. Johns County residents wherever they are. Do not send confidential information until we have agreed to represent you.
