Do you know how to find out if you are a beneficiary on a bank account? I am the surviving spouse or the closest next of kin of the deceased whose death certificate is provided.When a person dies, that person is called a decedent. A decedent leaves property behind. The balance of the property will be assigned to the surviving spouse, or if none, to the decedent's heirs under Michigan's law of intestate succession. Learn what happens in a probate estate in Michigan after a person's death. From the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Like joint owners and spouses, they already have an ownership interest in the account. That interest merely converts to ownership on your death. Planning for your estate can help you ensure that your assets and loved one's interests are protected in the event of your death.