Are you legally obligated to contact someone after your parent dies?

Question

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.

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

His estate is liable for the bills and debts. You would only be forced to pay those bills up to the amount of his life insurance or other inherited properties. I'm assuming that he and your mother were not still together or they would be her bills/debts too.

As to your using the inheritance to pay off loans that he owed you... you might be able to use this to reduce the amount available to pay off his other bills. But you had better be able to prove that he owed you that money.