If an account holder passes away, the money in the joint account generally goes to the surviving person. In fact, many banks and lenders include a ‘rule of survivorship’ within their agreement, which states that the surviving owner has the right to take over the account. Bear in mind that the bank may ask for the death certificate before transferring the money to the surviving account holder. In Scotland, things are slightly different. When a person dies, their share of funds won’t pass automatically to the surviving account owner. That said, when notified, the bank may still agree to let them continue to use and operate the account.