Contact your bank to be sure of their policies for removing an account holder—while some banks allow this, others require the entire account to be closed. You may also need to supply the written permission of the other account holder to remove yourself.
In general, you need your spouse's consent to remove them from a joint account.
How do you change a joint account to single? Most financial institutions don't allow you to separate or change a joint account to a single owner. You will likely need to open your own separate bank account and close the joint one.
While no account holder can remove another account holder from a joint account without that person's consent, few banks will stop you from withdrawing or transferring the entire balance on your own. The most common joint account holders include parents and their children, spouses, and other close family members.
Go to your bank in person with the other account owner if you want to keep the account, or by yourself to close it. Tell the bank teller that you want to remove someone from your account. Then, fill out the removal request form.
Answer: Probably not.
The only way you can take a joint account holder's name off the account without permission is if your original contract with the bank specifically allows this—but most contracts don't and yours probably doesn't.
I am writing this letter to let you know that my wife and I have a joint account in your bank. I want to convert this account into a single one for a favour. Therefore, please do the process early as possible. I will be appreciated and applaud your help.
Most joint bank or credit union accounts are held with “rights of survivorship.” This means that when one account owner dies, the money passes to the surviving owner, or equally to the rest of the owners if there are multiple people on the account.
Both account holders are required to agree on the closure of the joint account. If you or your former partner, decide to continue to use your account, we'll need instruction from both account holders agreeing to un-freeze it.
Fill out the application form, providing all the required information, including the joint account details and the reason for converting it to a single account. Gather the necessary supporting documents, such as identity proof, address proof, and any other documents specified by the bank.
Separating your joint accounts
With the agreement of both account holders, we can help you close your joint account. Or, you can request in branch to remove the second person from your account.
In order to retitle an account, the bank will typically require documentation such as a marriage certificate, trust certificate, or divorce decree. Once the account is retitled, the account holders will continue to have the same rights and responsibilities as before, but with their new names on the account.
It's also possible to remove yourself from a joint bank account without closing it. All account holders need to agree to any changes in the account's ownership. You may both need to be present at a bank to request these changes.
A Primary Account Holder has full authority over an account and is responsible for managing it, while a Secondary Account Holder has limited access and authority.
Instead, you'll have to reach out to a user who's verified on that bank account to add or remove other users. Users can't remove themselves from a bank account.
Joint bank accounts
Couples may also have joint bank or building society accounts. If one dies, all the money will go to the surviving partner without the need for probate or letters of administration. The bank might need to see the death certificate in order to transfer the money to the other joint owner.
The money in joint accounts belongs to both owners. Either person can withdraw or spend the money at will — even if they weren't the one to deposit the funds. The bank makes no distinction between money deposited by one person or the other, making a joint account useful for handling shared expenses.
The first step in removing the name of a joint bank account holder is to obtain the form for account deletion from the bank or from the website. All other account holders, including those whose names are being deleted, must complete and sign the form.
You'll need your debit card or details of the account you wish to switch from, income details, your home address and the details of any arranged overdraft you have on your existing bank account. You can switch both sole accounts and joint accounts into a joint account.
Remaining Account Holder Approval
Banks that allow one account holder to take their name off the account may require you to submit written approval from the other account holder or might even require that all parties visit a local branch in person.
Either party may withdraw all the money from a joint account. The other party may sue in small claims court to get some money back. The amount awarded can vary, depending on issues such as whether joint bills were paid from the account or how much each party contributed to the account.
Adding a joint owner to your account is fairly easy; removing them could be a nightmare. If your child is added to your account and you later decide to want them removed, you have to get them to agree and sign to remove them as a joint account holder.