A person's debts do not disappear when they die, and, under some circumstances, survivors have to pay those obligations. Generally, debts must be paid off before an inheritance is distributed. In some cases, the executor of the estate has to sell property and belongings of the deceased to pay off outstanding debts. An executor—usually an adult child, surviving spouse, or other family member—is the person who is charged with paying any outstanding debts, taxes, or other obligations after a person's death.

Generally speaking, children are not required to pay a deceased parent's debts simply because of family relation. Unless children cosign a loan or agree to take on certain expenses, they are not required to pay for a deceased parent's unsecured debt (e.g. credit cards, medical bills, personal loans). However, children might be responsible for paying off a deceased parent’s debts in some instances. For example, if a parent leaves property to a child shortly before passing away, it is possible that creditors will make a claim against that property if too little money is left over in the estate to pay for it. In this particular instance, the child would not be responsible for paying any debt beyond the value of that property. Another example would be if a child inherits a parent's house with an unpaid mortgage or a car with an existing auto loan. The child inherits the debt along with the property or the possession. Adult children also can be held liable for a deceased parent's debts if they are named on a joint account and their income and credit histories were used to secure credit.

In the case of a spouse, the survivor may be responsible for the deceased spouse's debt if they shared credit cards and other accounts. A surviving spouse also is liable for any debts that both partners accumulated together. In some community property states (see Nolo’s definition), a surviving spouse may be liable for all debts entered into during the marriage. If a surviving spouse does not live in a community property state, creditors cannot attempt to settle a debt by going after the surviving spouse's separately owned property, bank accounts, or other assets. To find out about the laws in your state, see http://law.findlaw.com/state-laws/marital-property/.