Credit card for my father in low?

Question

My mother in law passed away earlier this month. She left one or two credit cards in her name only with balances less than $5000 total. How should I handle this for my father in law?

Answer 1

he needs to contact the companies and let them know she passed away they should cancel the accounts with no problem and any fees or cost that she had prior

Answer 2

When my brother unexpectedly died some years ago, he had 4 or 5 cards with various companies. Stores, Visa, MasterCard, Gasoline...

He was single/divorced. His "estate" owed the money upon his passing. The credit companies could have placed liens against what he owned, had we not paid them off out of his life insurance.

After probate was complete, what he had owned passed to the possession of his daughter. Had we not paid off the cards, the companies would have sued for his possessions to pay off the card balances.

They do not just close the account and cancel the debt when someone passes away. (Sorry) (This was the way it worked for us... we were in Indiana and my brother died in Georgia. Georgia law applied.) Things may be slightly different where you live.

If your mother had the forethought, check to see if she had insurance on the cards. Any recent card statement will do. Look for a charge on the bills that says something like account protection... or call the customer service # on the bill and ask them if she carried this type of insurance. If she carried this, THAT type if insurance will pay off the balance owed once you provide the proper company with a death certificate copy.

Otherwise, I hope she had some kind of life insurance to help pay her balances.

You have my deepest condolences for you and your father-in-law, concerning your mother's passing.

I hope this gave you some avenues to pursue to help clear the outstanding debt.

Take care and good luck.

Answer 3

If the credit card was in your mother-in-law's name only, then the balance due must be paid from her estate (the assets and cash she left when she passed). After the debts are paid, what ever is left goes to whoever she listed in her will. If there is no will, most State laws say the estate goes to the spouse, then the children, in that order.

If she died and did not have enough in her estate to pay off her debts, then the debts died with her. Your father-in-law can't be made to pay her debt. Again, this only applies for accounts solely in your mother-in-law's name.

These are legal issues and I am a layman, not a lawyer. The Probate Court in your county may have someone who can advise you at no charge.

Answer 4

If the credit cards are in her name only, you don't have to handle anything for your father in law.