To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. No letters of office are now outstanding on the decedent's estate, and no petition for letters is contemplated or pending in Illinois or in.How Can I Access a Deceased Person's Bank Account? My dad passed away two months ago. Got the death certificate in hand and went to the bank to close his account. It is often necessary that the property and financial affairs of a deceased person be supervised through a court process. Next of kin is a legal term referring to a deceased person's closest living relative, such as their direct offspring. The Petition for Letters of Administration is the document that is used when the decedent died without a will.