Alabama Estate Value Calculator

Alabama doesn't recognize tenancy by the entirety for married couples, has no transfer-on-death deed for real estate, and once went through eight years of legal confusion over how hard it should be to break a joint tenancy. Check each asset below to see what actually counts toward the probate estate.

Ala. Code § 35-4-7, Title 5, Ch. 24 FigureMyTax Editorial Team Free · no sign-up

What's in this estate?

For each asset the person owned, enter its value and how it's titled. We'll sort each one into the Alabama probate estate or outside it.

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Alabama probate estate (what a court oversees)
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No entirety, express language required

Alabama does not recognize tenancy by the entirety — a deed to a husband and wife creates a tenancy in common by default, the same as it would for any other co-owners. Under Ala. Code § 35-4-7, survivorship has to be expressly created through joint tenancy language. See our full breakdown of Alabama joint tenancy rules, including a landmark 1972 case that reversed eight years of confusion over how joint tenancies could be broken.

No transfer-on-death deed, no Lady Bird deed statute

Alabama has never adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act. A 2016 bill that would have created one died in the House Judiciary Committee, and no subsequent TOD-deed bill has advanced. Alabama also has no statute authorizing a Lady Bird deed. See our full explanation of Alabama's TOD-deed gap and the alternatives owners actually use.

Bank accounts follow the state's Multiple-Person Accounts Act

Alabama's version of the Uniform Multiple-Person Accounts Act governs both how a joint account is owned while its parties are alive and how it passes at death. See our guide to Alabama beneficiary and P.O.D. accounts.

Where this feeds into other Alabama calculators

The probate-estate total from this tool is the starting point for Alabama's probate cost and executor fee calculators, and for checking Alabama's small estate procedures. Alabama has no state estate or inheritance tax, so this total doesn't feed into a separate state tax calculation.

Alabama estate value — frequently asked questions

Does Alabama recognize tenancy by the entirety for married couples?

No. Alabama does not recognize tenancy by the entirety at all. A deed to a husband and wife creates a tenancy in common by default, the same as it would for any other co-owners, unless the deed expressly creates a joint tenancy with survivorship.

What language does Alabama require to create survivorship in real estate?

Under Alabama Code Section 35-4-7, the instrument must clearly state that the grantees take the property jointly with a right of survivorship. Without that clear language, the deed creates a tenancy in common instead.

Does Alabama have a transfer on death deed?

No. Alabama has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act. A 2016 bill that would have created one died in committee, and no later bill has advanced through the Alabama Legislature.

Does Alabama recognize a Lady Bird deed for real estate?

No Alabama statute authorizes an enhanced life estate, or Lady Bird, deed. Only traditional life estates are recognized by statute, so a Lady Bird deed's effectiveness in Alabama rests on title practice rather than a specific law.

Does a joint bank account automatically pass to the survivor in Alabama?

Generally yes at death, though ownership while both parties are alive is governed separately. Alabama's Uniform Multiple-Person Accounts Act sets out both how a joint account is owned during the parties' lifetimes and how it passes at death.

This calculator provides an estimate for general guidance only and is not legal advice. Figures are based on Alabama statute (Ala. Code § 35-4-7, Title 5, Ch. 24) and published Alabama court decisions, verified per our methodology. How a specific asset is actually classified depends on its full paperwork, account agreement, or deed language. Confirm with the county Probate Judge or a licensed Alabama attorney before acting.