Deceased Estates: Supporting you every step of the way

Letting us know

1. Helping you protect the accounts

Letting us know of your loved one’s passing is an essential step in protecting their estate and understanding the accounts held in the name of your loved one.
 

We understand it can take time to gather all the required documentation needed to let us know. You can contact us directly or you can engage a solicitor to act on your behalf. You can notify us of your loved ones passing by providing the required documents:

• A completed Notification of Death Form (PDF 368KB)
  
• A document evidencing your loved one has passed away with any one of the following:
  • Certified copy of death certificate
  • Certified copy of medical report
  • Certified copy of police report
  • Funeral service provider’s tax invoice or receipt

If you have engaged a solicitor, we require a letter from your solicitor confirming the customer’s name, date of birth and date of passing.

Upon receipt of the Notification of Death Form and proof of passing, we’ll provide you with a letter, within 10 business days, confirming the actions we have taken to protect the accounts and what is required for us to provide you with information of your loved one’s accounts.

2. Providing you with information

It is important that we only provide information on the accounts to the authorised estate representative. To verify the representative’s entitlement to represent the estate, we will require the following documents:
 

• A completed Deceased Estate Representative Form (PDF 645KB)
• A document evidencing your entitlement to the information with any one of the following:
  • Certified copy of a Will to verify an executor
  • Certified copy of a death certificate to verify next of kin
  • Certified copy of identification of the estate representatives:
  • If you’re an existing St. George, Bank of Melbourne or BankSA customer, this may not be required;
  • If you’re not an existing St. George, Bank of Melbourne or BankSA customer, either one (1) Primary Photographic identification document; or one (1) Primary Non-Photographic identification and one (1) Secondary identification document. Refer to FAQs for further information on identification document types

If you have engaged a solicitor, we require a letter from your solicitor confirming they have been engaged to act on your behalf.

Upon receipt of the Deceased Estate Representative Form and required documents, we will provide, within 10 business days, a detailed listing of accounts to the authorised estate representative and outline what is required to settle and close accounts.

Note: You can choose to send the Notification of Death and the Deceased Estate Representative forms together or send the Notification of Death Form as an initial step.

How to let us know

Please send all documents to us:

• Via email
• Via post: Estates Management – IBN77
  GPO Box 3433
  Sydney NSW 2001
• Or by visiting a branch
   

Accessibility support

At any time, you can inform us how you would prefer to be contacted. If you are deaf and/or find it hard hearing or speaking with people who use a phone, you can reach us through the National Relay Service (NRS). To use the NRS, you can register here: https://internet-relay.nrscall.gov.au

• TTY users, phone 133 677 then request 132 032.
• Voice Relay users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 132 032.
• NRS Chat users, connect to the NRS then ask for 132 032.
• Auslan interpreter services can be booked through your local branch.

 For any other assistance with accessing our service, such as accessing information on this email, please contact us and we will be happy to help. For more information on all our accessibility options, go to our website and search Access and Inclusion.

Settling and closing accounts

Instructing us on how you wish to settle and close accounts is an essential step and you may choose to:

• Close your loved one’s accounts
• Set up and Estate of the Late trust account to manage your loved one’s estate

Prior to instructing us to close all accounts, you should consider whether the accounts should remain open to facilitate receipt of any deposits which may still be made to the deceased's accounts such as superannuation benefits, tax refunds, or other deposits.

If a solicitor has been engaged to act on your behalf, we are unable to settle and close accounts on direction from your solicitor. We will require the executor or the administrator to complete the Deceased Estate Account Instruction Form (PDF 493KB) which can then be forwarded to us by your solicitor.

How to instruct us

Please send all documents to us:

• Via email
• Via post: Estates Management – IBN77
  GPO Box 3433
  Sydney NSW 2001
• Or by visiting a branch

What we do once you have instructed us

Once we’ve received your documents and the signed Deceased Estate Account Instruction Form, we’ll carry out your instructions and forward a letter, within 10 business days, confirming the actions we’ve taken on your behalf.

You will receive a final statement showing a zero balance for any transaction account once it’s been finalised and this will be in the name of your loved one.