In most states, only the grantor and not the grantee sign the Quitclaim deed form as prepared by an attorney. But there are some states which do require the grantee to sign the deed. After the grantor signs the deed, a notary public should sign and stamp it without which the deed is not taken as valid.

At present, only a few states like Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Vermont require the deed to be signed by witnesses other than the notary public to make the quitclaim valid. Officials from states other than where the property is located can also notarize the deed. This however depends upon the County Recorder of that state.

The deed is then recorded at the land records office in the county where your property is located. The Office is called the County Recorder's Office, County Clerk's Office, Register of Deeds, and Land Registry Office depending upon the state where you own the property. After being recorded, a copy of the deed is sent to the grantee, the grantor, and title insurance company.

A quitclaim deed is commonly used in the following situations:

• In a divorce, when an ex-spouse transfers ownership of the property to the other.
• A spouse may add other spouse's name to the property title after marriage only by issuing the spouse a deed.
• When property is purchased, at closing the interest is transferred from the seller to the buyer through a deed; the parties may use a quitclaim, general warranty, or special warranty deed.
• If the previous property owner has retained some interest in the property, a quitclaim deed will transfer that interest to the new owner.
• A person planning a will or a living trust can use the deed to transfer ownership of the property into a trust or the person they want to inherit the property.

Even after transferring a property through quitclaim, you can have the right to stay there till your death. This is possible only if you retain a life estate for yourself. A life estate is a kind of estate where you retain interest in the property for your lifetime, and specifically name the person to whom the property is to go to immediately after your death.

Once you have signed a quitclaim, the only way to get the property back is to have the grantee quitclaim it back to you or prove the transfer was invalid. If you can prove that you signed the deed under threat, external pressure, or the grantee made you sign by telling you false information, then you can have the quitclaim deed invalidated. The best way to get help invalidating the deed is to consult a lawyer in your state. Learn more...

A quitclaim deed is a good way to transfer property if you are transferring it between family. The best way to transfer property to or from someone who is not family is to use a general or special warranty deed which gives the buyer warranties as well as transfers property.