Bank Accounts Guide

The Sunset API provides comprehensive bank account management for estate cases. This guide covers the typical workflows for managing deceased bank accounts during estate settlement.

Resource Hierarchy

Bank accounts are nested under cases and have several sub-resources:

/cases/{case_id}/bank-accounts/{account_id}
  /signers          - Account holders and authorized signers
  /transactions     - Transaction history
  /recurring-payments - Autopay, subscriptions, direct deposits
  /beneficiaries    - POD/TOD beneficiary designations
  /statements       - Bank statement uploads
  /balance-history  - Historical balance snapshots

Typical Workflow

1. Add discovered bank accounts

As accounts are discovered through searches or document review, add them to the case:

curl -X POST "https://api.example.com/v1/cases/{case_id}/bank-accounts" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "institution_name": "Chase Bank",
    "account_type": "checking",
    "account_number": "123456789",
    "ownership_type": "individual",
    "status": "open",
    "current_balance": 15230.50
  }'

2. Record account signers

Track who is on the account:

curl -X POST ".../bank-accounts/{account_id}/signers" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "John Jonas Johnson",
    "role": "primary_holder",
    "is_deceased": true
  }'

3. Check for beneficiary designations

Accounts with POD/TOD designations pass directly to named beneficiaries and typically avoid probate:

curl -X POST ".../bank-accounts/{account_id}/beneficiaries" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "John Jonas Johnson",
    "relationship": "son",
    "percentage_share": 100.0,
    "designation_type": "pod",
    "is_contingent": false
  }'

4. Track recurring payments

Identify and manage recurring payments that need to be cancelled or transferred:

curl -X POST ".../bank-accounts/{account_id}/recurring-payments" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "payee_name": "Springfield Electric Co.",
    "type": "utility",
    "amount": 150.00,
    "frequency": "monthly",
    "status": "active"
  }'

5. Record transactions

Track important transactions, especially estate-related ones:

curl -X POST ".../bank-accounts/{account_id}/transactions" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "date": "2025-10-15",
    "type": "estate_distribution",
    "amount": -25000.00,
    "description": "Distribution to beneficiary - John Johnson",
    "category": "beneficiary_distribution"
  }'

6. Upload bank statements

Upload monthly statements for record-keeping:

curl -X POST ".../bank-accounts/{account_id}/statements" \
  -F "file=@statement_oct_2025.pdf" \
  -F "period_start=2025-10-01" \
  -F "period_end=2025-10-31" \
  -F "opening_balance=15230.50" \
  -F "closing_balance=12450.00"

Instant Inheritance

Bank accounts carry an instant_inheritance summary describing whether Sunset can pull the balance into the estate account directly, skipping the bank’s estate department:

{
  "instant_inheritance": {
    "eligibility": "eligible",
    "max_transfer_amount": 15230.50,
    "active_transfer_id": null,
    "transferred_amount": 0,
    "evaluated_at": "2026-08-24T14:02:11Z"
  }
}

See the Instant Inheritance Guide for requesting a transfer and tracking it to settlement.

Account Types

Type	Description
`checking`	Standard checking account
`savings`	Savings account
`cd`	Certificate of Deposit
`money_market`	Money market account
`hsa`	Health Savings Account
`trust_account`	Account held in a trust
`estate_account`	Account opened for the estate
`joint_account`	Joint account with survivorship

Ownership Types

Type	Description
`individual`	Sole ownership by the deceased
`joint_tenants_wros`	Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship
`tenants_in_common`	Tenants in Common (no survivorship)
`pod_payable_on_death`	Payable on Death designation
`tod_transfer_on_death`	Transfer on Death designation
`trust`	Held in a trust
`estate`	Estate account

Flagging Transactions

Flag transactions for review during the estate settlement process:

curl -X PATCH ".../transactions/{transaction_id}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "is_flagged": true,
    "flag_reason": "estate_related",
    "notes": "Large withdrawal 2 weeks before death - needs review"
  }'

Getting Started

Guides

Bank Accounts Guide

Bank Accounts Guide

Resource Hierarchy

Typical Workflow

1. Add discovered bank accounts

2. Record account signers

3. Check for beneficiary designations

4. Track recurring payments

5. Record transactions

6. Upload bank statements

Instant Inheritance

Account Types

Ownership Types

Flagging Transactions

​Bank Accounts Guide

​Resource Hierarchy

​Typical Workflow

​1. Add discovered bank accounts

​2. Record account signers

​3. Check for beneficiary designations

​4. Track recurring payments

​5. Record transactions

​6. Upload bank statements

​Instant Inheritance

​Account Types

​Ownership Types

​Flagging Transactions

Bank Accounts Guide

Resource Hierarchy

Typical Workflow

1. Add discovered bank accounts

2. Record account signers

3. Check for beneficiary designations

4. Track recurring payments

5. Record transactions

6. Upload bank statements

Instant Inheritance

Account Types

Ownership Types

Flagging Transactions