Dealing with Deceased Accounts often involves lots of legal terms. If you find yourself asking what a term means, you may find your answer here. We're always here to answer any questions you may have. You can also find some of the most common terms below.
You can register a death with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Our useful contacts sections has more information.
The best way to notify PTSB of the passing of a loved one is by filling out our Bereavement Notification Form. This will outline the documentation and information that we will require to progress
This depends on the balance in the accounts and our requirements. If a Grant of Representation is required this process will take longer. Your solicitor or the Probate Office can advise you on how long this will take. If the deceased had a mortgage and there is an assigned life assurance policy and the Life Company require a Grant of Representation or medical reports this process will take longer.
We understand that this is a difficult time and will work with you or your representative to make this process as efficient as is possible.
If the deceased had a mortgage in their own name you will need to provide us with a certified copy of the death certificate. Our dedicated Bereavement Services team will contact you with details of our further requirements. For example, there may be an active and assigned life assurance policy. The mortgage will continue to accrue interest until the estate is finalised and the loan repaid.If you had a mortgage with the deceased you will need to provide us with a certified copy of the death certificate. Our Bereavement Services team will contact you with details of our further requirements.
If the deceased had a credit card in their own name you will need to provide us with a certified copy of the death certificate. Our dedicated Bereavement Services team will contact you with details of our further requirements.
Unfortunately, in some circumstances correspondence might still arrive. This may be as a result of correspondence that we are required to issue to meet our legal and regulatory obligations or planned mailings that we are not able to amend or stop on time. If this does happen, please accept our apologies in advance and contact our Bereavement Services Team as we do not want to cause you any further distress.
No. A hold will be placed on the accounts upon receipt of a certified copy of the Death Certificate or certified copy of the interim coroner’s report. Any direct debits or standing orders will be returned unpaid after we are notified of death. You will need to contact all direct debit creditors linked to the accounts of the deceased.
In the past, we may have been asked to keep items in safe custody. This facility is no longer available but on request, we can search to see if the deceased had any items in safe custody. We do not know the contents of the safe custody item and we cannot release any items in safe custody until we are in receipt of the Grant of Representation. The executor or administrator may attend at the branch to view the safe custody items. They will need to bring a copy of the will confirming they are the executor and proof of identity and address verification, and the original safe custody receipt if available. If the original will is in safe custody it will be released to the executor or administrator.
A person named in the deceased person's will to carry out his or her instructions. There may be more than one executor. Their duties may include applying for a Grant of Probate, paying funeral expenses of the deceased and ensuring any inheritance tax due is settled.
An executor is a person named in the deceased’s will to carry out their instructions upon on their death. There may be more than one executor. Their job is to apply for the Grant of Probate, carry out instructions for funeral arrangements, pay any outstanding debts and distribute the assets as per the will of the deceased.
This is a person appointed by the Probate Office of the High Court to deal with the estate if the deceased died without leaving a valid will. One such example is where the deceased has passed intestate. The person entitled to act as administrator is set out in the Succession Act 1965. There may be more than one administrator appointed.
On receipt of a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, where no solicitor has been appointed, we will issue funds via a bank draft made payable to you as Executor(s) or Administrator(s). An Executor or Administrator account in the names of all those mentioned in the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration will need to be opened in order to lodge the funds. Where a solicitor has been appointed we will pay the funds directly to them.
In order to open an Executor/Administrator account, please visit any bank branch when the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration has issued and they will provide you with the requirements.
An Executor/Administrator account is not required if you are not extracting a Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration or have appointed a solicitors to distribute the estate.
Next of kin refers to the deceased’s closest living relative or relatives.
A beneficiary is a person who is left something in a will.
A valid will is a legal document detailing how a person wishes their estate to be distributed upon their death. It specifies the person or people they want to carry out the wills instructions.
If somebody dies without a valid will, they are said to have died intestate. An administrator is appointed in this case. The estate of the deceased typically passes to the deceased person’s next of kin as set out in the Succession Act 1965. You may need to engage the services of a solicitor where the deceased has died intestate.
Inheritance tax is a tax which may need to be paid by a beneficiary or person who receives an inheritance depending on their relations to the deceased and depending on their individual tax thresholds. You should contact your solicitor or the Office of the Revenue Commissioners if you have any questions in connection with inheritance tax.
A person dies testate if they leave a will.
A person dies intestate if they do not leave a valid will.
The sole property and assets of the deceased person at the time of their death. This includes, but is not limited to bank accounts, life polices or other property.
This is a formal legal process through the Probate Office of the High Court, which authorises someone to deal with a deceased person’s estate. The authority is given in the form of a document called a Grant of Probate.
When a person dies leaving a valid will and appointing an executor, a Grant of Probate issues to the executor. The person’s assets are dealt with by the executor according to the terms of the will.
Only you can decide how much help you may need. This may depend on the size of the estate and the type of assets of the deceased. Larger and more complex estates may need more professional support.
This is an indemnity form that is completed by the executor, executors or all next of kin of the deceased, where the total value of funds held with PTSB in the name of the deceased is less than €30,000. This indemnity form needs to be completed by all the next of kin to the deceased if there is no will. By completing the indemnity form, the claimant agrees to indemnify us, in the event that somebody else is entitled to the accounts of the deceased. It relates to the sole accounts of the deceased where the total value of funds held with PTSB is less than €30,000.
A Certificate of Balance is a list of all the accounts and balances held by the deceased at date of death.
Certified copies are copies of original documents that have been certified using wording such as "true certified copy of original". The person carrying out the certification should also include their signature, date and name, business stamp or full address and contact details. Certified copies of documents are only acceptable if certified by one of the following:
It sets out the date, place and cause of death. A death certificate is issued by the Registrar of Births, Death and Marriages.
The death certificate is issued by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. When you register a death you can apply for same. Please see our useful contacts section for details of how to obtain a death certificate.
This is a document granted under seal by the High Court which gives authority to a named person (or persons) to deal with a deceased’s person’s estate. The most common types of Grant of Representation are Grants of Probate and Grants of Letters of Administration.
An official order issued from the Probate Office of the High Court appointing an administrator of a deceased person’s estate where no valid will exists.
