Deceased Estates

We know the last thing you want when a family member or friend has passed away is to worry about sorting out their financial affairs. We have a team dedicated to help you along the way.

Step 1

Let us know your loved one has passed away.

Step 3

We'll support you in finalising the estate.

1. Let us know who has passed away

Complete our online form to let us know your loved one has passed away.

If you require payment of a funeral invoice, or have a general enquiry, please use the general enquiry form to get in touch.

Let us know who has passed General enquiry

2. A case manager will get in touch with you

We'll get in touch with you and assign a case manager who will guide you through the process and explain the next steps, the types of documents we require, and any additional support we can offer.

Who can request or access information?

We can only discuss estate details with a solicitor/court appointed administrator or executor, so we may ask for proof of this, such as a certified copy of the deceased person’s current Will.

If you’re not the solicitor/court appointed administrator or executor, we’ll acknowledge your notification by emailing you, and will ask you to help us contact the solicitor/court appointed administrator or executor for the estate.

Estates greater than $15,000

If the estate is over $15,000, we can’t proceed until Probate is granted over the Will. Probate involves registering the deceased’s Will with the High Court, so they can confirm that it's valid. When this happens, the executor of the Will is legally empowered to execute the wishes of the deceased. That will include distributing funds and other assets. If there is no Will, the courts will appoint an administrator who will determine the fair distribution of assets.

We require copies of:

Certified Death Certificate
Certified Will – if there is one
Estate Disbursement form
Certified copy of Probate or Letters of Administration
Certified photo ID for executors/court appointed administrators who are non-TSB customers
Confirmation of payment account details (bank statement).

Estates that hold less than $15,000 with TSB

If the estate holds less than $15,000 with TSB, we can proceed without Probate. You will need to provide copies of:

Certified Death Certificate
Certified Will – if there is one
Estate Declaration form
Certified photo ID of claimant who is a non-TSB customer
Confirmation of payment account details (bank statement).

Joint accounts

If you have joint accounts with the deceased, we'll require a certified copy of the Death Certificate to move the accounts to the surviving owner. You'll still be able to continue to access joint accounts during this process.

Funeral Term Investment

If there is a funeral term investment available, your case manager will support you through using these funds towards the cost of funeral expenses.

Funeral payment

If you require payment of a funeral invoice, please fill out the general enquiry form, and select ‘Request funeral payment’. Alternatively, you call us on 0800 872 226 or visit your nearest branch.

3. Finalising the estate

Once all required documentation has been received, we'll confirm the closure of the estate by providing you a confirmation of funds transfer to the nominated bank account.

Get in touch

Let us know who has passed away

The quickest way to let us know your loved one has passed is to fill our online form. We only need a few key details to get things started. If you require payment of a funeral invoice, or have a general enquiry, please use the general enquiry form.

Let us know who has passed General enquiry

How do I get a Death Certificate?

What happens to joint accounts?

Can the deceased’s estate be used to pay for the funeral?

Yes, we can normally pay for the funeral from the deceased persons estate, however we need to receive an itemised invoice from the funeral home. Please submit this via the general enquiry form and select 'Request Funeral Payment' as the reason. Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 872 226 or visit your nearest branch.

If the estate doesn’t hold enough funds to make full payment, we'll complete a partial payment of the invoice amount.

Who can request information on an estate?

We have a duty to keep our customer’s information confidential, even after their death.

If you’re the solicitor/court appointed administrator/executor, we’ll write or email to you and provide a list of the accounts and/or services the customer had.

If you’re not the solicitor/court appointed administrator/executor, we’ll acknowledge your request by writing or emailing you, however we'll ask you to contact the solicitor/court appointed administrator/executor so that they can request the information directly.

What happens if I’m applying for a funeral grant from WINZ?

What if the deceased person has no Will?

What if the deceased person has an outstanding balance on lending or a credit card with TSB?

What happens to the Power of Attorney on the accounts?

Where can I get my documents certified?

What is Probate?

Probate involves registering the deceased's Will with the High Court, so they can confirm that it's valid. When this happens, the executor of the Will is legally empowered to execute the wishes of the deceased. That will include distributing funds and other assets. If there is no Will, the courts will appoint an administrator who will determine the fair distribution of assets. Please refer to Probate and wills | New Zealand Government if you need further support.