Can I use my late father's ATM card or net banking to take out his money?
No, and it is worth understanding why rather than just being told. A person's authority to operate their account ends at death, and so does anyone's authority to act for them. Money drawn afterwards with their card or password is taken without authority, however good the intention — and it can be treated as misappropriation if another heir objects. The money belongs to all the legal heirs from the moment of death, not to whoever holds the card.
What actually happens at death
The account holder's mandate to the bank ends. The bank, once informed, freezes the account and pays out only through the deceased-claim process — to the nominee, or to the legal heirs on proof of entitlement. Withdrawals made between the death and the bank learning of it are not invisible: the date on the death certificate is compared with the statement, and the bank can recover them from the claim.
Why it hurts the family
The money is shared property of the heirs. A withdrawal by one of them, even for the funeral, is a withdrawal from the others' shares, and it is the single most common trigger for a dispute that then blocks the whole claim. Sisters, a stepmother, a child from an earlier marriage — anyone with a share can object, and a bank faced with an objection will insist on a court certificate.
It also creates a false picture. If the account shows recent withdrawals, the bank's processing centre will ask who made them and why, and the claim stalls until that is explained.
What to do instead
Inform the bank of the death promptly and start the claim. If money is needed urgently for the funeral, most banks will release a reasonable amount to the family against the death certificate and a simple request, precisely because they know this need exists. Ask for that rather than taking it.
Find out what your case needs
The free check applies all of the above to your actual family and your actual accounts, and tells you the shares and the document list in two minutes.
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Last reviewed 2026-08-31. This is general information, not legal advice. Institution requirements change — confirm before you file.