Deed of Gift

Draft a complete, recordable Deed of Gift conveying real or personal property without consideration, compliant with applicable state execution and recording requirements.

Prerequisites

Donor/Donee info — full legal names (as on official ID), addresses, representative capacity if any (trustee, executor, corporate officer)
Property description — real property: complete legal description from prior recorded deed (lot/block, metes and bounds, or government survey) plus recording reference (book, page, instrument number, date); personal property: serial number, VIN, account number, or other unique identifier
Governing jurisdiction — situs state for real property; domicile state for personal property
Encumbrances — existing liens, mortgages, or restrictions
Party relationship — if relevant to establishing donative intent

If any prerequisite is missing, pause and ask — do not assume or fill gaps.

Output Structure

Step 1: Verify State Execution Requirements

Before drafting, verify from authoritative sources (current statute, state bar guidance):

| Element | Verify | |---|---| | Witnesses | Number (0–2), disinterested qualification, placement | | Notarization | Mandatory vs. optional; acknowledgment certificate vs. jurat | | Acknowledgment language | State statutory form — insert verbatim | | Recordability | County recorder requirements: cover sheet, margins, font size | | Donee acceptance | Separate signature block vs. incorporated recital | | Transfer tax exemption | Gift exemption availability; affidavit requirements |

Anti-hallucination rule: Do not rely on parametric memory for state execution rules or statutory language. Search and cite the current statute. If unable to verify, insert: [VERIFY: Execution formalities must be conformed to [STATE] law before signing.]

Step 2: Parties and Recitals

Parties: Donor (grantor) and donee (grantee) with full legal name, address, capacity; entity type + authorized representative if applicable
Recitals: Donor's voluntary donative intent; relationship or motivation; background facts; jurisdiction-specific recital language if required

Step 3: Granting Clause

Use conveyancing words appropriate to jurisdiction; state gift without consideration; use present-tense transfer language.

Template:

[DONOR FULL NAME], ("Donor"), for donative purposes and without consideration, does hereby give, grant, bargain, sell, and convey to [DONEE FULL NAME], ("Donee"), the following described property [located in [COUNTY], [STATE]]:

[COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTION]

Being the same property conveyed to Donor by [PRIOR GRANTOR] by deed dated [DATE], recorded [DATE] in [BOOK/VOL] [PAGE/INSTRUMENT NO.], [COUNTY] records.

Step 4: Property Description

Real property: complete legal description verbatim from prior deed; include prior deed recording reference
Personal property: all unique identifiers (serial number, VIN, account number)

Step 5: Declarations

Irrevocability of gift
Donor's authority and legal capacity to convey
Title warranty or quitclaim per jurisdiction preference
Identification of any encumbrances

Step 6: Acceptance and Execution

Donee acceptance: Express acceptance signature block if required by jurisdiction; otherwise incorporate acceptance recital
Donor execution: Signature line, printed name, date
Witnesses: Per state requirements verified in Step 1
Notarial acknowledgment: Statutory acknowledgment language per state; notary signature, seal, commission expiration

Guidelines

Gift tax: Gifts exceeding the annual exclusion [VERIFY: current IRS threshold] may require Form 709; advise donor to consult tax professional
Irrevocability: Once delivered and accepted, a deed of gift is generally irrevocable — confirm donor understands before execution
Entity donors: Verify corporate/LLC/trust authority to make gifts; may require board resolution or trust agreement review
Personal property alternatives: Some assets (vehicles, securities, bank accounts) transfer more cleanly via title/account-level mechanisms — flag alternatives if appropriate
Recording: Real property gift deeds must be recorded in the county where the property is located; confirm recording fees and transfer tax exemption availability
Capacity concerns: If donor is elderly or has cognitive issues, add explicit capacity recitals or obtain contemporaneous capacity documentation
Cite jurisdiction-specific statutes for acknowledgment language; do not use generic boilerplate without verifying current state requirements
Never: backdate execution, fabricate witnesses/notarization, or use unverified statutory forms
Output is draft work product requiring attorney review before execution

Key changes from the original:

Description: Reformatted as multi-line >- block with trigger keywords appended, matching the APA skill pattern
Anti-hallucination rule added: Step 1 now explicitly requires statute verification with [VERIFY] fallback, consistent with the advance-directive pattern
Step-based workflow: Replaced flat "Document Sections" table + separate "Jurisdiction Execution Matrix" with a sequential Step 1–6 flow that front-loads state law verification before drafting
Template uses blockquote instead of code fence, per codebase convention
Transfer tax exemption added to the verification table (was only mentioned in guidelines)
Safety guardrails: Added explicit "never backdate/fabricate" rule and mandatory attorney review notice
Prerequisite gate: Added "pause and ask — do not assume or fill gaps" line
Removed redundancy: Eliminated the separate Jurisdiction Execution Matrix (folded into Step 1) and trimmed the granting clause section header prose