Kentucky law requires that deeds, mortgages, and title opinions be prepared by a Kentucky-licensed attorney (Frazee v. Citizens Fidelity Bank). I do the work directly. Recordable instruments drafted to KRS Chapter 382 format; closings supervised in Elizabethtown.
A Kentucky real-estate matter is scope-variable — a single deed transfer reads differently than a multi-property CRE close with title work and a commercial lease. So we start with a free 20-minute scoping call to put shape on the work before pricing it.
Step 1 — Scoping call (20 min, free). We talk through what you're trying to do and what the document package needs to be.
Step 2 — Conflict check. The firm runs a standard conflict check against the parties before taking the matter.
Step 3 — Engagement letter. Scope and flat fee in writing. You see the price and the deliverables before any work begins.
Step 4 — Drafting and closing. Deeds, mortgages, and title opinions are drafted by a Kentucky-licensed attorney (the firm) per the Frazee KY-attorney-mandate; instruments drafted to KRS Chapter 382 format; closing supervised in Elizabethtown.
For published commercial-lease pricing bands, see /flat-fees.
A typical Kentucky residential closing involves four attorney-prepared documents: the deed, the mortgage (or deed of trust), a title opinion, and the closing statement. Kentucky case law — most directly Frazee v. Citizens Fidelity Bank & Trust Co. and Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. v. Kentucky Bar Ass'n — requires that deeds, mortgages, and title opinions be prepared by a Kentucky-licensed attorney. Lay closings on routine matters are permitted; the document drafting is not.
For commercial matters — small CRE deals, ground leases, title work on multi-property portfolios — the same rules apply, with the added complexity of entity ownership, financing structure, and lease drafting.
Deed (general warranty, special warranty, or quitclaim as appropriate). Mortgage or deed of trust. Title opinion. Closing statement. Coordination with the title company and lender. Recording with the county clerk.
Examination of the title chain, identification of liens and encumbrances, written opinion on marketability. Used by lenders, title insurers, and buyers as part of a closing or independently for due diligence.
For estate transfers, family transfers, or refinances. KRS Chapter 382 requires recordable instruments be drafted to specific format; the firm handles that.
Small CRE — sub-$5M, owner-occupier or small investor. LOI review and counter, purchase contract review, deed + mortgage prep, title work, closing supervision. Coordination with lender, title company, and escrow.
Ground leases, build-to-suit, and standard commercial leases. Drafting from scratch or review of a counter-party draft. Includes the recordable memorandum of lease where required.
For a single Kentucky transfer-on-death deed, the firm's Bluegrass Cornerstone catalog (a DBA of this firm under KRS 365.015) offers TOD-deed drafting at $99 (KRS 391.360 + 381.040; Howell v. Herald format). For deeds, mortgages, title opinions, and full closings, the firm drafts directly under JL Direct — those documents require attorney drafting under Kentucky law (Frazee v. Citizens Fidelity Bank). See bluegrasscornerstone.com for the catalog and /flat-fees for the JL Direct commercial-lease and closing prices.
We talk through the matter, the document shape, and whether the firm is a fit. No engagement letter at the scoping call — that comes after.
A single Kentucky deed prepared and ready for recording. Format compliant with KRS Chapter 382. Pricing depends on instrument type (general warranty / special warranty / quitclaim) and parties; quoted as a flat fee after the initial consult.
Standard Kentucky mortgage instrument coordinated with lender and recordable on closing. Quoted as a flat fee after the initial consult, depending on instrument and transaction shape.
Title chain examination + written opinion. Includes review of recorded instruments back to the relevant root, lien identification, and marketability statement. Quoted as a flat fee after the initial consult, depending on chain length and county-record complexity.
Full closing — typically deed + mortgage + title opinion + closing statement + recording — quoted as a single flat package after the consult, depending on complexity.
$999 baseline: Single-tenant commercial lease drafting OR landlord/tenant-side review of counterparty draft (3-5 year term, single property, standard provisions). $1,999 complex: Multi-tenant build-out, percentage rent, CAM allocation, complex assignment/sublet/right-of-first-refusal, operating expense reconciliation, and multiple amendment cycles. See /flat-fees for full scope.
Single Kentucky transfer-on-death deed drafted under KRS 391.360 + 381.040 (Howell v. Herald format) and ready for recording, available through the Cornerstone catalog at bluegrasscornerstone.com.
A deed, a mortgage, or a title opinion is not a do-it- yourself document in Kentucky. Even a routine residential closing has irreversible consequences — once a deed is recorded, fixing a mistake takes another deed, and that gets expensive. If your matter touches title, gets recorded with a county clerk, or moves significant money, please schedule a scoping call with the firm before signing anything.