First Week As A Surviving Spouse
What do I do about joint accounts immediately?
Short answer
Joint accounts with right of survivorship are already yours — no court process needed. Bring a certified death certificate to the bank and ask to remove the deceased's name. You may also want to change the account to a single-holder account and…
What this usually means
Joint accounts with right of survivorship are already yours — no court process needed. Bring a certified death certificate to the bank and ask to remove the deceased's name. You may also want to change the account to a single-holder account and update any beneficiary designations to reflect your current wishes.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county phone numbers for coroner, vital records, and local offices.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.