Q: Wy wife recently died. She had several credit cards in her name. Am I responsible for these bills?
A: I am very sorry for your loss on the passing of your wife, please accept my condolences and sympathy for you and your family at this sad time. The rule generally is that you have no obligation whatsoever unless you have cosigned or otherwise agreed to be responsible for the credit card debt or any other debt. While it is possible that someone may try to make you responsible for any charges if you have your own card and are an authorized user on the account, it is up in the air whether they would pursue you for that actually. So, the answer is usually and generally "NO". What may happen is that if a probate is required that they will make a claim against the estate, and if there is an estate that must be probated then it may get paid, otherwise those debts will not get paid, and they are out of luck usually collecting on any of those sums. If you think or feel that a probate will be necessary, or you are just not sure, then you will want to have a conversation with a Florida Probate Matter on these and related estate specifics and issues. Do not let the credit card companies make you think you have to pay your wife's old debts otherwise, it simply is not true, no matter what they claim or try to say.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
