In Brief
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is recruiting volunteer attorneys to assist homeowners with Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs).
- Monthly clinics will begin in 2027 at the Hennepin County Recorder‘s Office in downtown Minneapolis.
- TODDs allow real estate to transfer directly to beneficiaries without probate proceedings.
- The initiative aims to reduce heirs’ property issues and help close racial and generational wealth gaps through estate planning.
The pro bono unit of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, in partnership with the Hennepin County Recorder and Examiner of Titles, seeks volunteer attorneys to help residents get their affairs in order. On the first Tuesday of the month beginning in 2027, volunteers will help clients with Transfer on Death Deeds — part of an ongoing initiative seeking to close the racial and generational wealth gap.
A Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) is a legal document that allows a property owner to transfer ownership of a home to a designated beneficiary upon their death. It allows the property to pass directly to the beneficiary without going through probate court. The property owner maintains full ownership and control of the property while they are alive and can sell, mortgage, or revoke the deed at any time. A TODD also allows the owner to name contingent beneficiaries and specify survivorship rights.
The TODD project itself was launched in 2023, after Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid encountered clients living in heirs property with legal issues that they could not fix…