A house or land without probate in Vermont
Vermont's Enhanced Life Estate Deed Act lets an owner keep the property during life and name who gets it at death, without probate. The deed must be executed and recorded as the Act requires, and the owner may revoke or change it.
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Transfer-on-death (TOD) and payable-on-death (POD) in Vermont
- Real estate (TOD deed)
Yes · Enhanced life estate deed (ELE deed)
Vermont's Enhanced Life Estate Deed Act lets an owner keep the property during life and name who gets it at death, without probate. The deed must be executed and recorded as the Act requires, and the owner may revoke or change it.
Law: 27 V.S.A. 651-660
Source: Official page
Does real estate count toward the small estate limit?
| Kind of property | How it is treated | Details |
|---|---|---|
Real estate in Vermont | Left out | Real estate is not added to the total, but if the person owned real estate other than a timeshare, the small estate procedure cannot be used. A timeshare can be included and counts. Law: 14 V.S.A. 1901(a) |
Main home (primary residence) | Left out | The home is real estate. If the person owned it, the small estate procedure cannot be used. Law: 14 V.S.A. 1901(a) |
Surviving spouse in Vermont
With no will, a surviving spouse inherits everything if all the person's descendants are also the spouse's (or there are none), and half if some descendants are not the spouse's. A surviving spouse can transfer up to two vehicles at the DMV with no fees, and the court says an estate may not be needed if a vehicle is the only asset and there is a spouse.
Who inherits with no will in Vermont
If there is no will, after debts, funeral costs, allowances and expenses: the spouse gets everything if there are no descendants or all descendants are also the spouse's; if some descendants are not the spouse's, the spouse gets half. The rest goes to descendants; if none, to parents, then brothers and sisters and their descendants, then grandparents and their families.
Law: 14 V.S.A. 311, 314
Source: Official page
Related pages
Free help in Vermont
A court self-help center or a legal aid office can check whether the estate qualifies, free of charge or at low cost.