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Banks
Official route and working notes

Bank of America

A practical starting point for gathering what you need and contacting the right team. Confirm the current account-specific requirements with the institution.

Also known as: BofA, checking, savings, estate services

A gentle note on scope

Paperwake provides administrative guidance, not legal advice. We help you find practical next steps after a death; please confirm requirements with the official institution or a qualified professional when you need legal advice.

Have ready
Documents and details
Gather what you can before you start. The institution will confirm what it accepts.
  • The deceased customer’s full legal name and Social Security number.
  • A death certificate; confirm whether a certified copy is needed.
  • Documents showing authority to act for the estate, if the bank says they apply.
Suggested order
One step at a time
Use this as a working sequence, then follow the institution’s written instructions.
  1. 01Gather the customer’s identifying details and any account information you already have.
  2. 02Start a case through Bank of America Estate Services.
  3. 03Ask which path applies to the account ownership and whether the bank needs proof of authority.
  4. 04Use the bank’s instructions to submit only the documents requested and keep the case reference.
Typical timing
What to expect
Timelines can depend on the product, documents, and circumstances.

Not confirmed; ask the institution for current timing.

Needs human review
Details to confirm
These points are not confirmed by the linked official guidance.
  • The exact authority documents vary by account ownership and state; confirm the case-specific list before sending originals.
  • Typical processing time is not published in the cited official guidance; confirm timing with the institution.
Review context
Last reviewed
This date tells you when Paperwake most recently checked the guidance below.

September 30, 2026

Requirements can vary by account, location, and circumstance. Confirm the current process with the institution before sending sensitive documents.

What changed
Review notes
A plain-language record of updates to this family-facing guidance, newest first.

  1. September 30, 2026

    Reviewed the linked official US guidance and recorded account-specific details that still need confirmation.

Contact route
Open an Estate Services case and ask which instructions apply to the account and the person handling it.

Start with the official source below and keep a note of any case number or documents the institution requests.

Open official route
Contact channels
Use the official route and ask what applies to the account.

Keep the next steps in one place

Paperwake’s free checklist helps you organize calls, documents, and follow-ups across accounts.

Start the free checklist

Sources for this guidance

Last reviewed September 2026. Confirm current requirements with the institution before sending sensitive documents.