Protecting the Rights of Consumers For Over 25 Years

Question: Are our children responsible for my late husband’s debts that he had before he died? My late husband had large credit card and medical debts.

Answer: In most states including Illinois, children are not liable for the debts of a parent unless they undertake in writing to pay the debts. However, attempts to collect decedents’ debts from family members are common, and often violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.