When you are dealing with the loss of a loved one, you probably have a lot going through your mind. You are dealing with emotional grief and learning how to carry on without your loved one. During this time, you might start to get phone calls demanding that you pay your deceased loved one’s bill. Those calls can be troublesome. If you are getting those types of phone calls, there are some points you should know.
One thing that is crucial for you to know is that your loved one’s estate is the entity that is responsible for paying most of your loved one’s bills. Generally, the relatives that are left behind don’t have any legal obligation to pay for those bills. In most cases, whatever bills aren’t able to be covered by the estate will just go unpaid.
If you are contacted by a debt collector trying to collect on a loved one’s bill, you should give them the information for your loved one’s estate. This means that you should give the contact information for the personal representative over the estate. That is the only information you should provide.
Some debt collectors might decide to try to get your personal information. In no instance should you give out your personal information. Keep your Social Security number, financial information, birth date and any other information to yourself.
Determining what debts must be paid might require you to seek the help of someone what is familiar with estate and probate laws. Make sure that you get answers to your questions before deciding what you will pay and what you won’t pay.
Source: FindLaw, “Paying the Debts of a Deceased Relative: Who Is Responsible?,” accessed Feb. 12, 2016
