A court will not draft—or give you—a separation agreement. You and your spouse, or your lawyers, are responsible for drafting the agreement. You and your spouse must both sign the agreement voluntarily—you or your spouse cannot be forced to sign the agreement and you must know and understand what it says.
Whatever the reason, you will need to retain an attorney, experienced in real estate, to draft a new deed conveying your home to yourself and the person you wish to add to your title. In addition to the deed, your attorney will also need to prepare transfer tax returns.
Adding a family member to the deed as a joint owner for no consideration is considered a gift of 50% of the property's fair market value for tax purposes. If the value of the gift exceeds the annual exclusion limit ($16,000 for 2022) the donor will need to file a gift tax return (via Form 709) to report the transfer.
Joint tenants – each owner owns an undivided interest in the whole property, but if the interest is sold, the joint tenancy ends and the owners become tenants in common. If one of the joint tenants dies, the deceased person's interest automatically goes to the other joint tenant.
The Process for Adding a Spouse or Partner to a Home Title Prepare a New Deed. To add your spouse or partner to the title, you'll need to prepare a new deed. Sign the New Deed in Front of a Notary. Record the New Deed with the County Recorder's Office. Update Your Homeowners Insurance and Property Tax Records.
To initiate a partition action, the petitioner must file a complaint with the appropriate court that describes the property involved. The complaint must also include the ownership shares and interests of all co-owners as well as any other property co-owned by the parties. NY Real Prop Actions L § 905.