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When someone passes away there are countless things to be done and tough decisions to make, all of which can feel overwhelming and confusing.
We can help you with banking arrangements by explaining what’s required and supporting you at each stage - from completing paperwork together and stopping account activity, to handling the release of money from the estate.
Contact us as soon as you can. You can either:
If your family member or friend had a Private Banker, contact the Private Banker directly.
Choose whichever way you're most comfortable with. We'll always handle your situation with care and sensitivity, whether that's in person or over the phone.
When someone passes away, we can only share their account info with their estate executor, administrator, or next of kin.
We’ll ask to see original or certified copies of the below documents to confirm this.
Which documents we need to check is based on your relationship to the loved one:
If you don’t already bank with us, we’ll need to check your ID e.g. driver’s licence. Here’s a list of documents to take to your nearest CommBank branch.
Before we can access your loved one’s accounts, we’ll need to see original versions or certified copies of a few documents.
If you need money from the estate to pay for unexpected expenses, we can help.
For funeral expenses
We can release money to cover funeral expenses when a request is received from:
You’ll need to visit a branch and bring the tax invoice (if you’re yet to pay for the funeral) or a tax receipt (if you have already paid). A death certificate isn’t required in order to make funeral payments.
For estate expenses
We can also release money from the deceased estate to pay for other costs like unpaid bills or expenses relating to the estate (for example, strata fees).
You’ll need to send us a certified copy of any documents that we ask for.
Call our Estate Settlement and Support specialist team on 1800 686 153 Mon – Fri, 8:30am – 6.30pm (Sydney/ Melbourne time).
For business expenses
We can release money to cover business expenses when we receive a request from:
We can also help you organise an ‘estate of the Late’ account at your nearest branch. It works as a transaction account allowing the executor to access money more easily from the estate, and to deposit any cheques made out to ‘estate of the Late’. An executor will need to provide a grant of probate or a letter of administration to open this account.
After you notify us, you'll receive a letter detailing all the accounts and balances held. We'll also confirm if you need to complete any other paperwork. Once we have all the relevant documents we'll settle the estate, which means releasing money and assets.
This last step can take time. If you want to check on our progress call our specialist team on 1800 686 153 Mon – Fri, 8:30am – 6.30pm (Sydney/ Melbourne time).
We can only share account information with the estate executor, administrator, or next-of-kin.
Gathering paperwork may be the last thing you feel like doing. But for us to help you, we need to see several documents - depending on the value of the estate and whether there’s a Will or not.
You don’t need to provide original documents, we also accept certified copies. You can certify copies of original documents at any CommBank Branch (so long as you also show us the original document).
(but additional documents may be required based on individual circumstances)
These are granted by the Supreme Court in the state or territory where the estate is held.
Processing Services
Estate Settlement & Support
PO BOX 334
Silverwater NSW 2128
Australia
Please don’t send original documents. Certified copies are sufficient.
Depending on your circumstances, we may ask you to complete the below forms. We will let you know which forms we require you to complete.
To prevent any unauthorised access, we’ll put a stop on your loved one’s accounts and cancel all debit cards linked to these accounts. Once this happens, none of these cards will work. However, some regular payments linked to the debit card may still be processed on a stopped account if a service provider does not request authorisation from the Bank before processing a payment.
It’s important to check the account and cancel any regular payments linked to the debit card. To do this, you’ll need to contact the service provider(s) directly. We can give authorised parties a list of the regular payments on your loved one’s debit card as well as copies of past statements. We encourage you to check these statements for any regular payments that may have been set up.
Your loved one’s accounts can still receive direct credits until they’re closed – but you won’t be able to transfer money from these accounts. To deposit a cheque in your loved one’s name, you’ll need to visit your local branch, or use one of our selected ATM’s.
Once the estate is finalised, the accounts will be closed.
Joint bank accounts
Joint bank accounts continue as normal including if you’re now the only signatory on an account where the method of operation was ‘both to sign’.
No change is required unless you’d prefer the account be amended so it’s only in the surviving account holder’s name (bear in mind you’ll continue to get correspondence addressed to your loved one if you choose not to amend it).
We’ll cancel any credit cards where the deceased person was the primary cardholder. This means all their existing credit cards will stop working. However, some regular payments may still be processed on a cancelled account if a service provider does not request authorisation from the Bank before processing a payment.
It's important to check the credit card account and cancel any regular payments. To do this, you’ll need to contact the service provider(s) directly.
We can give authorised parties a list of the regular payments on your loved one’s credit card accounts as well as copies of past statements. We encourage you to check these statements for any regular payments that may have been set up.
If you’re an additional cardholder on a deceased person’s credit card account, your credit card will also be cancelled and you’ll need to apply for a card in your own name. We can help you with this, either in branch or over the phone. If this could cause financial difficulties for you, contact our Financial Assist team on 1300 720 814 who may be able to help.
If your loved one held an Awards credit card, they may have award points that can be redeemed. If you’re an executor, administrator, beneficiary, additional cardholder, spouse or immediate family, you can claim or use these points within six months of the date that your loved one passed away.
All access and activity related to the account will be stopped. Interest continues while the estate is settled. We recommend you seek legal guidance before you consider making any voluntary repayments throughout this period.
You may also be eligible for Home Loan Compassionate Care, complimentary protection for your Owner Occupied home loan that can pay your loan repayments for around 12 months if you, your spouse or dependant passes away (or is medically certified with a terminal illness).
Joint home loans
Unless you’re planning to sell the home or pay off the loan using super or insurance, we may be able to transfer the Certificate of Title to the surviving loan holder(s). The loan will stay in joint names until the estate is finalised, either from the sale of the property, or the refinance of the loan into the surviving borrower’s name.
We can help you with this. Our Financial Assist Deceased Estates team will proactively contact you. You can call them on 1300 720 814 if you’d prefer. This team can also help you if, as a joint loan account holder, you’re finding it difficult to keep up with the home loan repayments on your own.
Joint personal loans
If you’re the joint account holder, you’ll need to continue to make loan repayments. Unless you’d prefer the loan to be changed so it’s only in your name, there’s nothing more you need to do (bear in mind you’ll continue to get documents addressed to your loved one as a result).
For Term Deposits held only in your loved one’s name, we can release money before the Term Deposit maturity date as part of the estate settlement. All fees and charges for early withdrawal will be waived, and interest accrued up until account closure will be paid.
If your loved one had a safe custody facility, we can organise for an authorised person to retrieve their Will or other important documents.
Any joint safe custody packets, boxes or vaults in the deceased person’s name can continue as is. Let us know if you’d like to change the name to the surviving account holder – if you choose not to, any correspondence from us will still be addressed to the deceased person.
If you decide to put the safe custody facility in the surviving facility-holder’s name, we’ll need to close it, then open a new one in the new holder’s name.
If your loved one has an Essential Super1 account with CommBank, contact our Essential Super team on 13 40 74 Mon – Fri, 8am – 7pm (Sydney / Melbourne time)
When we hear from you, we’ll stop any premiums for insurance held in their super account. Once we’ve reviewed the claim, we’ll also refund any premiums charged after the date of their death.
If your loved one has home, contents or car insurance, cover will remain in place and premiums will need to be paid. If you’d like to cancel any insurances or change the policy owner details, give us a call on 132 423 Mon – Fri, 8am – 8pm, or Saturday 8am – 5pm (Sydney/ Melbourne time)
Business accounts, loans or facilities (including merchant terminals) may be stopped to prevent further transactions, like periodic payments or direct debit authorities. This also means that any cheques made out to this stopped account will be returned unpaid.
Let us know immediately if you need us to keep making crucial business payments e.g. wages or bills. You’ll need to confirm this in writing signed by either
You can send us invoices and bills that the business needs to pay. We’ll assess each request and let you know the outcome.
Send documents to:
Processing Services
Estate Settlement & Support
PO BOX 334
Silverwater NSW 2128
Australia
Or take them into your nearest branch.
As a security measure, we’ll stop any debit and credit cards linked to the deceased’s business accounts - no one will be able to use these cards. Some regular payments will stop but others may continue. We can give you a list of the regular payments on the deceased’s accounts.
Joint business accounts
If the deceased had a joint business account with someone else, we’ll need to close it and open a new one in the name of the new business owner(s). If they don’t already bank with us, they’ll need to complete an ID check in branch. Here’s a list of documents to take to the nearest CommBank branch.
The deceased’s business Relationship Manager can also help.
If you’re having difficulty keeping up with the repayments on any joint business loans call us on 13 26 07 and we’ll work with you to develop a solution to meet your needs.
If your loved one had accounts with any of the following CommBank teams contact them directly. Each has their own Estate settlement process and you’ll receive info on next steps.
If your loved one worked for the Commonwealth Bank Group, including Bankwest, they may have an employee superannuation fund (Commonwealth Bank Group Super known as the Officers’ Superannuation Fund before 2012).
Contact the fund to let them know oursuperfund.com.au/contact-us.
It takes time to get back on your feet when you lose a partner. If you’re feeling unsure or concerned about your finances, our Financial Assist Team can help you take practical steps towards financial security.
Unless you’re a joint account holder (or a Guarantor) you won’t be responsible for the debts owed by your loved one’s estate.
If the estate is in financial hardship, explore the ways we can help with Financial Difficulty.
In an emergency please call 000 or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB)
A not for profit organisation established to provide a range of education, counselling, research and clinical services for those working in and affected by experiences of grief and bereavement.
Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
The ATO outlines the tax responsibilities associated with deceased estates. If you’re the executor of a deceased estate, you may need to lodge a final tax return on behalf of the deceased person.
Birth, deaths and marriages registry
This registry is run by your state or territory government, and provides death certificates.
Centrelink
Centrelink is an organisation provided by the Federal Government and can provide insight into areas such as where to obtain a death certificate and organising a funeral.
1 Colonial First State Investments Limited ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468 (CFS) is the issuer of Commonwealth Essential Super ABN 56 601 925 435. CFS is a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124.
