Full question:
My brother committed suicide and left behind debts, as well as major medical bills resulting from him suicide. He was not married nor did he have children and was not under an appointed guardianship. He resided with my mother, only because he had foreclosed on his home, did not have a car, bank account, or other assets which would create an estate. Is the family now responsible for his past debts, to include the medical bills resulting from his suicide (their attempts at saving him).
- Category: Wills and Estates
- Subcategory: Probate
- Date:
- State: North Carolina
Answer:
A deceased person's debts are typically paid from their estate, which includes any property they owned at the time of death. Family members usually do not inherit the deceased's debts unless they were co-signers or otherwise jointly responsible for those debts. In most cases, if the deceased did not leave behind any assets—like a home, car, or bank account—there is no estate to pay off debts, including medical bills from attempts to save them.
When someone dies, their assets go through a probate process, where an executor or administrator is appointed to manage the estate. If the deceased had no significant assets, unsecured debts, such as credit card debt, typically will not be paid to creditors. If there are no assets, the estate is not liable for these debts.
In summary, since your brother had no assets, the family is generally not responsible for his debts or medical bills related to his suicide.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.