Can You Access a Deceased Parent's Bank Account in Ontario?

When a parent dies, the bills start before the paperwork is ready. You may need to pay for the funeral, keep the household running, and cancel services, all while the parent's money sits in an account you cannot reach.

This article explains what Ontario law says about who can use a deceased parent's sole bank account, what changes once a certificate is issued, and where the money for funeral costs may come from in the meantime. What a specific bank allows varies, so confirm with the bank.

Why you may not be able to use the account

Ontario's probate guidance says the estate trustee is the only person with legal authority to manage or distribute an estate. Relatives who are not the estate trustee have no authority to withdraw money from the deceased's sole accounts.

This applies even to a loving adult child who handled their parent's finances. Being family, or having had access before the death, does not by itself create authority after it. The property passes to the personal representative, who holds it for the people entitled to it after debts are paid.

If you are named as estate trustee in the will, you are the person the rules are built around, and a Certificate of Appointment is what gives authority to manage the estate's assets. Whether one is needed depends on the type of asset, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.

What changes once there is a certificate

A Certificate of Appointment gives the estate trustee authority to manage the estate's assets and pay its debts. Probate is usually needed if the deceased owned real property or had assets held by a financial institution, although it depends on the type of asset.

For smaller estates, valued at $150,000 or less, the estate trustee can apply to the Superior Court of Justice for a Small Estate Certificate. It gives authority to manage only the assets listed in it.

What paperwork you will need to show once a certificate is issued depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with the bank and a lawyer. Ask each bank for its list in advance.

Paying for the funeral and bills in the meantime

How funeral costs can be handled before a certificate is issued depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with the bank and a lawyer. Ask the bank what it permits, and do not assume you can use the card or online banking.

If you pay a bill yourself, keep every receipt. Unless the will says otherwise, the deceased's debts and funeral and testamentary expenses are paid out of the residuary estate. Your lawyer can confirm how and when you can be reimbursed.

Some government money may be available to help.

• The CPP death benefit for deaths on or after January 1, 2025 is a basic $2,500 plus a possible $2,500 top-up, up to $5,000 in total, and the executor should apply within 60 days of the date of death.
• If there is no estate or the executor does not apply, the benefit may be paid, in order, to the person or institution paying the funeral expenses, the surviving spouse or common-law partner, or the next of kin.
• The $2,500 top-up is not paid if the deceased had ever received a CPP or QPP disability benefit, post-retirement disability benefit or retirement pension, or if a surviving spouse or common-law partner is eligible for a survivor's pension.

Government payments you should stop

Notify the CRA of the death as soon as possible, by phone or by mailing Form RC4111, Notify the Canada Revenue Agency of a Death, to avoid benefit repayments. Any CRA payment received after the death should be returned to the tax centre.

CPP and OAS benefits must be cancelled when the beneficiary dies. They are payable for the month in which the death occurs, all payments issued after that month must be returned, and any already cashed must be repaid. Service Canada can be notified at 1-800-277-9914.

If these payments land in the deceased's account after the death, tell the relevant office rather than spending them.

What to do next

• Locate the will and confirm who the estate trustee is.
• Do not withdraw from the parent's sole accounts unless you are the estate trustee with authority.
• Ask the bank what it allows for funeral payments and what it needs from the estate trustee.
• Keep receipts for funeral and estate expenses.
• Notify the CRA and Service Canada.
• Consider the CPP death benefit and apply within 60 days of the death where you can.
• Talk to a lawyer about whether you need a Certificate of Appointment or a Small Estate Certificate.

Frequently asked questions