Begin the probate process. The best way to avoid any issues with accessing the bank accounts of deceased family members is to have a clear and up-to-date estate plan in place.Can I open up a trust if the trustee is deceased? Yes. You will need to supply the death certificate if one of the trustees is deceased. Decedent was and administrator is a member of the credit union. This account may legally be maintained in an FCU, since the decedent was a member. The bank will also need to see a copy of the Certificate of Trust naming the successor trustee, and the bank will have some forms that need to be filled out. In Illinois, you can add a "payable-on-death" (POD) designation to bank accounts such as savings accounts or certificates of deposit. Once the executorship is confirmed, they will have access to all of the deceased assets, including their bank accounts. In this guide, we'll discuss the process of creating a Trust-Based Estate Plan and how to transfer bank accounts to your Trust.