Generally yes, on notice of death. Joint accounts with survivorship usually remain accessible to the survivor, and most banks release funds for funeral costs.
The Canadian position
Institutions freeze sole accounts pending proof of authority. The threshold at which they require probate varies by bank and by balance.
The Islamic position
Because burial happens within a day, knowing the funeral-expense exception in advance is genuinely useful.
Making an Islamic will in Canada — province by province, and what makes one valid where you live →
This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.
Citations & sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to a source below. Details change — check the original source before relying on any figure, fee or legal position. Anything under “further reading” is related material, not a source for what is stated here.
- Apply for probate of an estate — Government of Ontario
- Estate Administration Tax — Government of Ontario
- Estates Act, RSO 1990, c E.21 — Government of Ontario
- What to do when someone dies — Government of Ontario
- Bank release funds after probate ontario — Treadstone Law
- Joint investment accounts right of survivorship ontario — Treadstone Law
- Accessing deceased bank accounts before probate ontario — Treadstone Law
- Joint ownership right of survivorship probate risks ontario — Treadstone Law
- Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law