Will I receive funds from my great aunt's savings account after her death?

Full question:

My great aunt passed away almost 3 month ago. While she was alive she told my mother (her niece) and me (her great niece) that she had put my name on one of her savings accounts that holds $50,000 while we were visiting her (she lived in Noblesville Indiana). She went to the bank and put my name on her savings account including my address. She did this because my mother lives in Germany and I live in the United States which she thought would make it easier for us to receive the money after she passes away. She also has a nephew who lives in Noblesville and whom I believe she had made her power of attorney in case anything ever happens to her. My question is I am not sure if she had a will or not. If she did and her nephew was on the will. Will I ever receive the money from the savings account or not. I don't have any documentation about this and don't know the name of the bank. Is there anything I can do to find this out?

• Category: Wills and Estates
• Subcategory: Probate
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: New Jersey

Answer:

To find out if your great aunt's estate has been probated, contact the probate court in the county where she lived. You can also petition the court to have any will filed, even if it's lost or destroyed (see IN statute IC 29-1-7-4). If she died without a will (intestate), her estate will be distributed according to intestacy laws. However, if she added your name as a joint owner on the savings account, the funds may pass directly to you without going through probate. In this case, the bank would distribute the funds to you as the named beneficiary, not the estate executor. If the account was held as tenants in common, it may be subject to probate. Overall, checking with the probate court is the best first step to clarify your situation.