Can I unilaterally remove myself as joint bank account holder?
08/03/2022
It is not uncommon for people to open current or saving accounts with their partners, flatmates or other joint holders for all sorts of reasons. It’s a convenient way to manage shared expenses. However, the day may come when the account is no longer needed.
In that case, you may wonder whether you can remove yourself as joint holder without having to close the account. The answer is yes, you can remove yourself without the consent of the other holders or the bank (unless there is good reason) because it is a unilateral decision. You will need to know how to proceed. Here we cover a few matters that you will need to consider when removing yourself as joint account holder:
- As the interested party, you must first provide the bank with a written request to remove yourself. The bank will take care of informing the other holders.
- The request should be met without requiring the consent of the other holders. The bank can only refuse to process your request if it has good reason, such as if the account is in the red or linked to other products in your name (e.g. a credit card).
- Once your name has been removed, the bank reserves the right to change the original account or open a new one, for which it will have to consult the preferences of the other account holders.
