Video Summary
How do I access someone’s bank account after they die? You can access someone’s bank account after they die if you’re on the account with them as a co-owner. Also if you if the account is payable on death to you, otherwise you are not entitled to access the account. It presents a practical problem for you whenever you know what bank it’s in and you go and ask them, if what you can do or how much money’s in the account and they say, well, unfortunately you’re not on the account or they won’t give you the information because you’re not a co-owner or a beneficiary of the account. So it’s difficult then to go see the attorney to talk about any sort of probate proceeding. You wouldn’t want to open up an account, a probate proceeding for an account that had, you know, just two or $3,000 in it or less. And so it is a real problem. And so hopefully everyone, addresses that in their estate planning by making it payable on death to someone. I usually recommend that they do that and execute a power of attorney to someone to sign in their behalf if they’re unable to do so, rather than putting them on as a co-owner of the account, since that makes them, whoever they put on there, a co-owner and subject to their debts and, or domestic problems. If you have any questions, give me a call at (727) 847-2288