Adding a spouse, moving a rental into an LLC, passing property within the family. Small transfers still change legal ownership, and the deed you choose decides what's promised along with it.
Most Connecticut transfers use one of these. The difference isn't the form; it's what the person signing stands behind.
Know all men by these presents
Quitclaim deed
“Whatever I have, you now have.”
Transfers whatever interest the signer holds, with no promises about the state of title
The customary tool between people who know each other: spouses, family, your own LLC
Fast and simple, which is exactly why it gets used where it shouldn't be
Know all men by these presents
Warranty deed
“You now have it, and I stand behind the title.”
Transfers ownership with promises the seller makes about title
The norm in arm's-length sales, where the buyer is paying for those promises
Backed in practice by the title search and title insurance around it
The transfers people actually make.
Six situations that bring homeowners and investors to us, and the question hiding inside each.
Adding a spouse to the deed
A common step after a marriage, and usually straightforward. But how the two of you hold title afterward has consequences worth choosing on purpose, not by default.
The hidden question: how you'll co-own
After a divorce
One name comes off, one stays. The deed is the visible part; the mortgage underneath it doesn't change just because the deed did, and that mismatch surprises people.
The hidden question: the mortgage
Transfers within the family
Parents to children, between siblings, into and out of shared ownership. Even a no-money transfer gets recorded with conveyance-tax paperwork, and some transfers are exempt while others aren't.
The hidden question: taxes and exemptions
Into an LLC
Investors move rentals into an LLC for liability separation. Before the deed is signed, it's worth checking what the loan documents say about ownership changes and how the transfer interacts with your title insurance.
The hidden question: the loan and the policy
After an owner dies
A name has to come off, and how the property was held decides what that takes, including whether probate is part of it at all. The deed is sometimes the last document in that sequence rather than the first.
The hidden question: whether probate is involved
Into a trust
A common estate-planning step, and one with an order to it: the trust has to exist before the property can move into it. What the trust document calls for, and what your lender and title policy say, all belong in the conversation before a deed is drafted.
The hidden question: what the trust calls for
What each deed promises, and where a quitclaim fits.
Deed questions.
Asked before the form gets signed, ideally.
What does a deed transfer cost? +
Standalone deed work is a flat $395 attorney fee. Recording is separate: the Town Clerk charges its own fee, usually around $70, and we tell you that number before anything is filed. A deed prepared as part of a closing isn't priced separately, it belongs to that file.
Is a quitclaim deed enough for a family transfer? +
Often it's the customary tool between people who know each other, because no one is buying title promises from a spouse or parent. Whether it's the right tool depends on what the transfer needs to accomplish. When a quitclaim is (and isn't) right.
Can't I just download a deed form? +
The form is the easy part. What the transfer does to your mortgage, your title insurance, and your taxes is the real question, and a downloaded form answers none of it.
Does a transfer between family members involve taxes? +
Sometimes. Even a no-money transfer gets recorded on the land records with conveyance-tax paperwork, and some transfers are exempt while others are not. It depends on the specifics of the transfer.
What if the property has a mortgage on it? +
Check before you transfer. Loan documents often have something to say about ownership changes, and it's much easier to address that up front than after the deed is recorded.
Can a deed take someone off the mortgage? +
No, and this is the mix-up we hear most. A deed is about who owns the property. A mortgage is a separate agreement about who owes the loan, and it doesn't change because the deed did. A person can come off the deed and still owe the debt. If the loan is what you're trying to change, that conversation starts with the lender.
The other owner died. Can we just do a deed? +
Worth a call before anything gets drafted. How the property was held decides what the transfer takes, and whether probate comes into it at all. Tell us how the deed reads now and we can tell you which path you're on.
This is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different. Reach out to discuss yours.
The firm, in figures
Connecticut closings10,000+
Years serving CT15+
CT offices statewide4
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We respond within one business day.
Tell us a few details about your transaction. A member of the team will follow up with next steps.
Thinking about a transfer?
Tell us what you're trying to do: add someone, remove someone, move a property into an LLC. We'll tell you what the right deed is and what to check before signing.
