What to do when a Washington Trust account holder dies
Contact Washington Trust's Washington Trust Wealth Management — 3-step process, 7 required documents, and pod beneficiaries can typically access funds once death certificate and id are verified. estate accounts require probate court documentation, which varies by state.
Customer Solutions Center
23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Washington Trust Wealth Management
23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Customer Solutions Center
Washington Trust Company, 23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
When an account holder at Washington Trust passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Washington Trust's Customer Solutions Center (800-475-2265) to access and distribute the funds.
Before contacting Washington Trust, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at Washington Trust works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Contact Washington Trust by calling 800-475-2265 or visit a branch
- Provide the deceased's full name, date of death, and account information if known
- Submit a certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- For POD accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued photo ID, Social Security number, and certified death certificate to claim funds
- For joint accounts: surviving joint owner retains full access; provide death certificate to update account records
- For estate accounts: executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the local Rhode Island municipal probate court
- For small estates: if the estate consists entirely of personal property not exceeding $15,000 with no real estate, an eligible relative or interested party may file for voluntary informal administration at the local Rhode Island probate court at least 30 days after death (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1) and present the resulting certificate of appointment of voluntary administrator to release the account
- For trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation with successor trustee provisions and identification
- Washington Trust reviews documentation and processes the claim
- Assets distributed per beneficiary designation, trust terms, or estate instructions
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Social Security number or tax ID of claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for estate accounts)
- For Rhode Island small estates (personal property only, not exceeding $15,000, no real estate): certificate of appointment of voluntary administrator from the local probate court, obtainable at least 30 days after death (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1)
- Trust documents with successor trustee provisions (if trust-owned account)
- Court order or other documentation as deemed necessary by Washington Trust
What to know at this institution
Joint accounts with right of survivorship pass automatically to the surviving owner. For accounts held in trust or otherwise managed through Washington Trust Wealth Management, a dedicated Estate Settlement team (led by the Head of Estate Settlement / Senior Trust Officer) administers the estate, manages estate assets, and works to minimize federal and Rhode Island estate taxes; contact your wealth advisor directly or call 800-582-1076.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Call 800-475-2265 or visit a branch to notify the bank
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
- Request Successor in Interest documentation from Washington Trust's mortgage servicing department
- Complete and return the Successor in Interest form with documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
- Washington Trust will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
- Once confirmed, discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
- Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (one or more of the following): probated will naming you as heir, court order of succession, recorded deed transferring ownership, trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Washington Trust cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Washington Trust
Washington Trust accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Washington Trust's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at Washington Trust →Expected timelines at Washington Trust: POD beneficiaries can typically access funds once death certificate and ID are verified. Estate accounts require probate court documentation, which varies by state. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Washington Trust requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Social Security number or tax ID of claimant, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Visit a Washington Trust branch or call the Customer Solutions Center at 800-475-2265 to request a Payable-on-Death (POD) beneficiary designation form. Provide each beneficiary full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship. Specify primary and contingent beneficiaries with percentage allocations. For trusts as beneficiary, provide the trust name, date established, and EIN. The most recent designation supersedes any prior designation.
For POD accounts, beneficiaries need a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID. For joint accounts, the surviving owner provides a death certificate to update records. For estate accounts, the executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. In Rhode Island, if the estate is entirely personal property not exceeding $15,000 with no real estate, an eligible relative or interested party can file for voluntary informal administration at the local probate court 30 days after death (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1) and use the certificate of appointment of voluntary administrator to release the account. For trust-owned accounts, provide the trust documents and successor trustee identification. Contact 800-475-2265 or visit a branch.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Washington Trust cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Call 800-475-2265 to report the death and request Successor in Interest documentation. Once confirmed, you can continue payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance.
Washington Trust's Customer Solutions Center can be reached by phone at 800-475-2265 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Washington Trust accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Customer Solutions Center can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Washington Trust primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Solutions Center
23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Washington Trust Wealth Management
23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Customer Solutions Center
Washington Trust Company, 23 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
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