My husband of eighteen years passed away last week. Am I legally responsible for his credit card debt? I am not on his accounts. Also, should I call the credit card companies and let them know of his passing?

Hello P:

You have my condolences.. His ESTATE is responsible for paying his credit card bills, IF there IS an estate after probate. That's the court procedure where all this stuff is finalized.

You can call the clerk of the court and ask him how to proceed.

excon

His estate is responsible and in some States, depending on how the card was used, what it was used for, you are personally responsible.

What does the estate Attorney say?

You will, of course, inherit at least part of his estate. His outstanding bills come off the top, so to speak, so your inheritance is reduced by that amount. Ultimately, that means the money comes out of your pocket.

You should definitely notify the credit card company of his passing. You should also pull his credit report. Sometimes cards exist that you may not be aware of. You should cancel all of his credit cards. You would be surprised with the amount of identity theft that occurs after someone passes away.

In general, the estate is responsible for all of his liabilities. They should be paid from the estate's assets. However, if you live in a community property state, like California, you may have a legal obligation even though your name is not on the account. Beneficiaries are not allowed to receive distributions from the estate until all estate liabilities are satisfied.