One of the greatest advantages of becoming an executor or estate administrator is managing and having control of the estate bank account. When the person who died (the Decedent) had a Will then the Will must be filed in Surrogate's Court and admitted (approved) for probate.Have you named a beneficiary on your bank accounts? A New York estate planning attorney explains the pros and cons of payable on death designations. Determining precisely how to open an estate account does not have to be difficult. Get the resources you need to help navigate someone else's financial affairs. Our DIY NY probate and estate administration without a lawyer content will help you today. Let our attorneys know if we can help. Thus, a bank account that is titled solely in the name of a decedent will be part of the probate estate. If there is a possibility of a wrongful death or other lawsuit in the future, a probate or an administration proceeding should be filed.