One of the first problems many people run into when a loved one passes is this: nothing is in one place. Bank accounts sit in one folder, retirement accounts somewhere else, and some assets are not written down at all.
If you are trying to figure out how to find assets of a deceased person in NJ, or in Pennsylvania, you are often sorting through paperwork and trying to confirm what actually exists. This is where The Simone Law Firm, P.C. can help. Call our office today and our New Jersey estate law experts can review bank statements with you and help identify accounts that still need to be tracked down.
How to Find Assets of a Deceased Person in New Jersey & Pennsylvania
One of the first problems many people run into when a loved one passes is this: nothing is in one place. Bank accounts sit in one folder, retirement accounts somewhere else, and some assets are not written down at all.
If you are trying to figure out how to find assets of a deceased person in NJ, or in Pennsylvania, you are often sorting through paperwork and trying to confirm what actually exists. This is where The Simone Law Firm, P.C. can help. Call our office today and our New Jersey estate law experts can review bank statements with you and help identify accounts that still need to be tracked down.
What Counts as an Asset After Someone Passes Away
When someone passes away, an asset is anything they owned or had a legal right to at that moment. That can be a bank account or an investment account. It can also be real estate, like a house or a piece of land. Personal items count too if they have value, like a car or jewelry. You also want to check digital accounts, especially ones that hold money or currency.
Insurance policies may be included as well, depending on who is named on the policy. Under New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. 3B:1-1 says the estate includes both real property and personal property, which is a legal way of saying everything a person owned or had rights to when they passed away.
Why Are Some Assets Difficult to Locate?
Tracking down your loved one’s possessions and assets can get difficult quickly if there isn’t one place where everything is listed. They may not be receiving paper documents for some online accounts, there could be old or unused account with a bank or other financial institution. Some records could be locked behind unknown passwords.
Privacy rules can slow things down too, because banks and companies usually need the right documents before they will speak with you. That right to privacy is another reason why tracking down assets and property can take time. In fact, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators reports that states are holding more than $60 billion in unclaimed assets, and some of that money belongs to people who have passed away or their estates.
Where Asset Searches Typically Begin
You usually start with what you already have access to. That might be paperwork in the home or documents that come in the mail. From there, each item you find tends to point you to something else. You will want to check a few key places early on:
- Personal records and physical mail
- Tax returns and bank statements
- Email and online account access
- Property records and deeds (NJ + PA counties)
- Employer and benefit records
What you find at the start rarely shows everything. One bank statement can point you to another account. A tax return can show income tied to a source you did not know about. Property searches in places like Burlington County, or in Pennsylvania counties like Philadelphia or Bucks, can uncover real estate that was not obvious at first. It builds over time as each new detail leads you to the next one.
Commonly Overlooked Assets in Estate Searches
Some assets get missed all the time. They do not appear in the first set of documents you review. That is why you have to look past what is easy to see.
Retirement Accounts and Former Employer Plans
Start with prior jobs. Many people leave behind a 401(k) or a pension when they change employers. Those accounts do not always connect to current banking records. You may need to review older tax returns or contact a past employer to confirm whether a plan is still active.
Life Insurance Policies and Beneficiary Contracts
Life insurance is often tied to a specific person through a beneficiary form. That means the policy may not appear in account summaries or estate paperwork. Some policies were set up years ago and then set aside. Checking old mail or reaching out to an employer can help confirm whether coverage exists.
Digital Assets and Online Financial Platforms
Some accounts only exist online. That includes payment apps and web-based investment platforms that do not send paper statements. If you do not have access to the person’s email, these accounts can stay hidden.
There are also newer types of value to think about. Cryptocurrency is one example. Stored balances in online accounts are another. These do not appear in traditional records, so you have to look for clues in emails or transaction history.
Physical Storage and Safe Deposit Boxes
Not everything is kept at home. Some people use a bank safe deposit box. Others rent a storage unit. Important items may be kept in those places, so you need to check with banks or storage facilities to confirm whether anything is being held.
How Legal Authority Affects What You Can Access
You can search for information without any formal authority. That usually means looking through paperwork or checking email. Access is different. Banks and other institutions will not release account details or let you move money unless you have legal authority to act on behalf of the estate.
That authority usually comes from being named as an executor in a will. If there is no will, the court can appoint an administrator. Until that happens, you may know an account exists but still not be able to get full information or take action on it.
Differences Between New Jersey and Pennsylvania Asset Searches
Where you start depends on which state you are dealing with. In New Jersey, you will be working through the Surrogate’s Court in the county tied to the estate. In Pennsylvania, that same role is handled by the Register of Wills, and the process runs through that office.
The rules around access are not identical between the two states. In Pennsylvania, the law defines what counts as part of an estate under Title 20 of the PA Consolidated Statutes, which helps frame what you are trying to locate. New Jersey follows its own definitions through the county Surrogate. You may be asked for different paperwork depending on the state. That can change how quickly you get responses from institutions.
What to Expect During the Asset Discovery Process
You usually start with limited information. That might be a few bank statements or old tax returns. From there, you use those documents to identify other accounts that need to be confirmed with the bank or financial institution.
As you keep working through the records, you will likely find additional accounts tied to what you already have. That comes up often during the South Jersey probate process and in estate work across Eastern Pennsylvania. A tax return might list interest from a bank you have not contacted yet. Or a statement might reference another account number.
You still need to verify each account with the institution before relying on it. That step matters because acting on incorrect information can delay distributions or create issues for the executor or administrator handling the estate.
How The Simone Law Firm, P.C. Helps Identify and Organize Estate Assets
This is where we step in and work through it with you. Our estate administration services New Jersey can review the documents you already have and use them to identify accounts that still need to be located. Your estate planning attorney can help by reaching out to banks or employers to confirm those accounts.
We also organize everything into a clear list so you can see what has been found and what still needs follow-up. From there, we explain what actions you can take next and what authority may be required before you can access certain assets.
FAQs About Recovering Assets in an Estate
How do you search for unclaimed property in New Jersey or Pennsylvania?
You can check state-run databases that track unclaimed funds. New Jersey and Pennsylvania both maintain these records through their treasury departments. You search using the person’s name and review any matches that come up. If you find a match, you then submit a claim with supporting documents.
Can financial institutions release account details after someone dies?
Not right away. Banks and other institutions usually require proof that you have the authority to act for the estate. That can include letters showing you are exercising executor duties in NJ or have been appointed as an administrator. Without that, they may confirm an account exists but will limit what information they share.
What happens if an asset is discovered after probate has already begun?
You do not ignore it. The person handling the estate needs to report the asset and include it with the rest of the estate. That may involve updating filings or accounting records. The process continues with that asset added in.
Protect Your Estate with Help from a Skilled Attorney
At some point, this stops being about searching and becomes about tracking what you have already found. You need a simple way to list each account and note who has confirmed it. That makes it easier to see what is complete and what still needs follow-up.
It also helps you avoid going back to the same institution twice or missing something. If you want help organizing it this way, you can contact our team at The Simone Law Firm, P.C., and we can go through the records with you to help you build out that list.
Author Bio
Michael Simone is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Simone Law Firm, an estate planning law firm in Cinnaminson, NJ. With more than 20 years of experience in criminal defense, he has represented clients in a wide range of legal matters, including estate planning, elder law, probate, real estate, and business law.Michael received his Juris Doctor from the Rutgers University School of Law and is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association.