Can an executor open an estate bank account before receiving probate in Ontario?

Sometimes, though it depends on the bank and the size of the estate. Most financial institutions want to see the Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee — the Ontario probate certificate — before opening a formal estate account, because that certificate is the court's confirmation of who actually has authority to act. Without it, a bank has no independent way to verify that the person in front of them is really the executor.

That said, many banks will open a preliminary account before probate is granted if the estate is straightforward and modest in size, or if urgent bills need paying, such as funeral costs, mortgage payments, or utilities that cannot wait months for probate to issue. In that situation, the bank typically asks for the death certificate, the original will naming the executor, and government-issued identification, and may cap what can move through the account until probate is confirmed.

Larger or more complex estates, or ones involving real estate, investments, or disagreement among beneficiaries, are far less likely to get pre-probate banking flexibility — those institutions will usually insist on the Certificate of Appointment first.

If you need to pay pressing estate expenses before probate issues, ask the deceased's own bank first, since some will release limited funds directly for funeral costs, and speak with the estate's lawyer about which accounts can realistically be opened in the interim.