An adult child can be added to the house’s deed as a partial owner.

If a house is jointly owned by a parent and an adult child, then when the parent dies, the house passes automatically to the adult child outside of probate.

With a tenants-in-common ownership structure, the parent’s share of the house becomes part of their estate and can be transferred to whomever they designate in their estate planning documents.
With a life estate, the life tenant (parent) has the right to live in the home during their lifetime, and upon their death, the house passes to the remainderman (adult child). This option, like joint ownership, avoids probate and can be thought of as an informal trust.

Adding a child as a joint owner of a home when there are multiple children raises additional estate planning challenges. Call to learn more.