Spouse Death
If my husband has a lot of credit debt in his name only, am I responsible for that when he dies?
Terry Says
Probably, assuming you file a joint return. A lot depends on how the debt is actually held. So get a copy of your own credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com and see if his debt is reported on your credit report.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Then consider whether you own property jointly. At his death, a creditor could come after jointly owned property.
To get specific personalized advice on your situation you might want to contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 800-388-2227. They know all the rules.
But bottom line, if creditors want to make your life miserable before you can close out his estate, they will indeed come after you.
