GUIDE
Accéder aux comptes et aux biens
Un guide simple pour exécuteurs et famille lorsqu'une personne ne peut plus gérer ses affaires.
Ce n'est pas un conseil juridique ou fiscal. Les règles varient selon la province ou l'État. En cas de doute, contactez un avocat successoral ou l'institution.
- Étape 1Find the will and papersLook for the original will, account lists, and IDs.
- Étape 2Contact institutionsBanks, brokers, insurers, and the land registry as needed.
- Étape 3Prove your authorityWill, probate papers, and government ID.
- Étape 4Receive or transfer assetsFollow each institution’s estate process.
First things to do+Who acts, what papers matter, and what to avoid.
- Confirm who is named as executor (or estate trustee) in the will. If there is no will, provincial rules decide who may apply to administer the estate.
- Gather the original will, a government-issued ID for the executor, and a list of banks, brokers, insurers, and property.
- Obtain an official proof of passing from the funeral home or vital statistics office - institutions usually need a certified copy.
- Do not log in with the account holder’s passwords to move money. That can freeze accounts and create legal problems.
- Speak with an estates lawyer if the estate is large, contested, or includes property in more than one province.
Good to know
- Probate documents have different names by province (for example, Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee in Ontario).
- Quebec uses different estate terminology and notarial practice - confirm local requirements early.
- Named beneficiaries on some registered accounts may receive funds outside the estate, separate from the will.
Bank and cash accounts+Notify the bank; use the estate process, not old logins.
- Call or visit the bank’s estates team and report that the account holder can no longer manage the account.
- Ask what documents they need (typically proof of passing, will, and probate or letters of administration).
- Open an estate account if the bank requires one for settling bills and distributing funds.
- Close or transfer personal accounts only after the bank confirms your authority.
Good to know
- Joint accounts with right of survivorship may pass to the surviving owner outside probate - confirm how the account was titled.
- Chequing and savings usually cannot name a beneficiary the way registered investments can; the will and estate process apply.
- Keep receipts for funeral and estate expenses paid from personal funds - you may be reimbursed from the estate.
Investments (stocks and funds)+Brokers handle registered and taxable accounts differently.
- Contact each brokerage or dealer’s estates team with proof of passing and proof of your authority.
- Check whether registered accounts (TFSA, RRSP, RRIF, FHSA, and similar) name a beneficiary or successor - those may pay out directly.
- For non-registered (taxable) investment accounts, expect the assets to move through the estate under the will.
- Ask whether transfers can be in-kind or must be sold to cash; tax reporting on the final return is usually the executor’s responsibility.
Good to know
- A spouse named as TFSA successor holder can often take over the account; other beneficiaries typically receive a payout instead.
- RRSP value is often taxable on the final return unless rolled to a spouse under the rules that apply.
- Do not trade in the account with the owner’s login while the estate file is open.
Crypto+Exchanges can work with an executor; private wallets need keys.
- If crypto sits on a Canadian exchange (custodial), contact their support or estates process with the same authority documents used for a brokerage.
- If crypto is in a self-custody wallet, you need the recovery phrase or device access the owner arranged - legal papers alone cannot reset a private key.
- Value holdings as of the relevant date for the estate inventory and tax filings.
- Move assets only into an estate-controlled account or wallet once authority is confirmed - do not mix with personal funds.
Good to know
- Custodial exchange accounts are usually non-registered and flow through the estate / will (no platform beneficiary form in Canada).
- Hardware wallets, seed phrases, and password managers should be findable from the owner’s instructions - not pasted into a public will.
- Without keys or exchange cooperation, self-custody crypto may be permanently inaccessible.
Real estate+Title, probate, and provincial land rules control the transfer.
- Locate the deed or title documents and note whether the property is solely owned, joint, or held another way.
- Ask a real estate or estates lawyer what your province requires to transfer or sell (often probate or equivalent).
- Contact the land registry / land titles office process through your lawyer when you are ready to register a transfer.
- Keep paying property tax, insurance, and mortgage obligations from estate funds while the property is held.
Good to know
- Joint ownership with right of survivorship often passes to the surviving owner without going through the will - confirm the title.
- Rules and fees differ sharply by province; Quebec practice differs from common-law provinces.
- A mortgage lender must be notified; selling or refinancing usually needs clear estate authority.
Insurance and pensions+Named beneficiaries often receive funds outside probate.
- Find life insurance policies, group coverage through employers, and pension or RRSP/RRIF beneficiary designations.
- Contact each insurer or plan administrator with proof of passing and a claim form; named beneficiaries can often claim directly.
- If the estate is the beneficiary, the payout goes to the executor for distribution under the will.
- Keep copies of claim confirmations for the estate file.
Good to know
- Beneficiary designations on insurance and many registered plans usually override the will for that asset.
- Employer benefits may have separate forms - check HR or the plan booklet.
- CPP / QPP survivor benefits (where applicable) are claimed through government programs, not the will alone.
Digital accounts and the Recivity vault+Vault release helps with secrets - banks still need legal authority.
- For Recivity: when the vault is released, named beneficiaries receive access to unlock shared documents and files in the browser.
- Use vault contents as a map (account lists, locations of papers, instructions) - not as a substitute for bank or broker estate procedures.
- For email, cloud, and social accounts, follow each provider’s memorial or executor process; do not share passwords casually.
- Still contact every financial institution with proper estate documents to move money or change ownership.
Good to know
- Recivity unlocks encrypted notes and files for beneficiaries after release; it does not transfer legal title to bank or investment accounts.
- If a recovery question was set, beneficiaries answer it in the browser to decrypt - matching ignores case and extra spaces.
- Export or printed instructions the owner left behind can help you find institutions faster.
Documents checklist+What institutions typically ask for.
- Official proof of passing (certified copies - order several).
- Original will, or confirmation that there is no will.
- Probate / Certificate of Appointment / letters of administration when required.
- Government-issued photo ID for the executor or estate representative.
- Account numbers, policy numbers, and property addresses from the owner’s records or vault.
Good to know
- Some institutions accept a funeral director’s statement while you wait for a government certificate - ask first.
- Small estates may qualify for simplified procedures in some provinces; thresholds vary.
- Store digital copies securely; many banks still want wet-ink or notarized originals by mail.