Q&A: Are you legally obligated to contact someone after your parent dies?

by infomatique

Question by pc: Are you legally obligated to contact someone after your parent dies?
My father passed away a while ago but we haven’t really contacted anyone such as bill collectors, county, etc. We do have death certificate and everything is completed but we keep getting his bills.

I know that I am not legally obligated to pay his bills but he does have a life insurance policy that my mother collected. My dad also owed me a bit of money that he had borrowed years back to buy a home and some other things. His life insurance payout was given to me by my mother to repay that debt but now we have no money to pay his own debts.

My question is.

1)once a person dies, is there some sort of authority that I must report this to other than getting a death certificate?

2)Am I liable to pay his debts even though his life insurance was used to pay back his debt to me?

Thank you.

Best answer:

Answer by davidmi711
Regardless if you are required to inform his creditors or not of his death is irrelevant, it is a good idea. Until the death is reported the bills are accumulating interest and late fees. These fees will not go away if you wait.

You are not liable for his debts, however his estate is. Every dollar you waste in fees is a dollar you and your mother don’t get.

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