recent widow

My husband recently died. He had three credit cards in his name only. I called all three card companies and they said that I did not have to pay the bills that were just in his name.


Now I receive a bill from a collection agency for Chase credit card. We have one account that is in both our names and is only has $l41.00 in it. We have a living trust and a reversed mortgage on our house.

Do I owe for his credit cards?

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Aug 21, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		The estate should probably pay the debts
by: Mo Johnson

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. As is usual with legal matters, the correct answer is "it depends."

If your state is not a community property state, then you should not be personally liable for the debts that are only in your husband's name. However, his estate should pay them. If you are executor of his estate or trustee of his trust, then you will probably need to pay his just debts with any assets in his estate.

However, state laws differ, particularly if you are in a community property state. I'd advise you to discuss the issues with a local trusts and estates attorney. Also, here's a good article on the topic:

Is Widow Liable for Husband's Debt?

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