Adding a Child to Title in Maryland
Many Maryland homeowners want to add a child to their deed as part of a family plan, estate plan, or long-term property transfer. This often comes up when a parent wants the home to pass more easily to a son or daughter in the future.
Unlike adding a spouse, adding a child usually gives that child a current ownership interest in the property. That makes it important to understand how the deed will be written and what type of ownership is being created.
Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship
If a parent and child own property as joint tenants with right of survivorship, the surviving owner generally receives the deceased owner’s interest automatically.
For example, if a parent adds one child as a joint tenant and the parent later passes away, the child may become the full owner without the property going through probate. This is one of the main reasons families consider this type of deed.
Tenants in Common
Tenants in common is different. Each owner has a separate ownership interest. If one owner passes away, that owner’s share does not automatically pass to the other owner.
Instead, that share usually passes through the deceased owner’s estate, Will, or other estate planning documents. This can be useful in some situations, especially where there are multiple children or more complicated family circumstances.
Which option is better?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Joint tenancy is often used when the goal is a simple transfer to the surviving owner. Tenants in common may be better when the owner wants each person’s share to remain separate or pass according to an estate plan.
The right choice depends on the family, the property, and what the parent is trying to accomplish.
Outright transfer to a child or children
Some parents do not want to simply add a child to title. Instead, they want to transfer the property entirely to one child or multiple children.
An outright transfer gives the child ownership immediately and generally leaves the parent with no ownership interest in the property. That can be the right move in some cases, but it should be considered carefully before signing the deed.