To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. Is a letter of authority from probate court in michigan necessary if you are beneficiary on a savings account of the deceased?Notify your loved one's financial institution(s) to retitle or distribute the account(s). This could just be a death certificate and your driver's license. It could also require opening an estate and getting letters testamentary. When the decedent died, you automatically have full ownership of that property, so it is not part of the estate. You need to take your mother's death certificate to the bank. In this blog post, we'll talk about why it's so important to open an estate, the documents needed to open an estate, and how to start estate administration. For bank accounts, indicate the name of the bank, the account number(s), and the balance at the date of death. Important Note: A copy of a financial institution statement for all liquid assets (i.e.