Question: In regard to a joint checking with an authorized signer, if one the owners dies does the authorized signer still have access to the account? The authorized signer had POA for the deceased father, which I know is no longer valid, but we are wondering if this person still had access to the account at all.
Answer: If the authorized signer's access to the account was based on the decedent's power of attorney, or upon an appointment as authorized signer by the decedent, that authority ended with the death of his father. If account access as an authorized signer was based on a grant of that authority by the surviving owner of the account, that access is probably still valid. If the surviving owner is still capable of managing his/her affairs, you should be able to clarify his/her intent fairly easily. If the surviving owner tells you in writing that the earlier designation of the son as an authorized signer is now ended, you will have to heed that notice.
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