Klitzman Law Group, PLLC

What Is the Biggest Mistake People Make on Their Wills?

Making mistakes in your estate planning can torpedo every effort made to protect your family after you die, warns a recent article from Kiplinger, “Common Estate Planning Mistakes.” Everyone benefits from a professionally-made comprehensive estate plan, a process for preparing your legal and financial affairs so assets and possessions are passed on after your death to the people or charities you want.

Not having an estate plan can create a world of trouble for those you love. The biggest estate planning mistake of all is not having an estate plan. After that, there are several others.

Procrastination. Suppose you unexpectedly become incapacitated and don’t have an estate plan. In that case, your family will be left guessing what you would want your medical care to be, in addition to needing to go to court to apply for guardianship so they can pay your bills and keep your household running. Everyone should have documents like Health Care Power of Attorney, Power of Attorney, HIPAA Release Form and Living Will in place.

Trying to make an estate plan on your own. Unless you’re an experienced estate planning attorney, there’s a lot you could leave out if you attempt a DIY estate plan. If there are errors, a court could declare your will invalid and it’s as if you never had a will in the first place. The laws of your state will be used to distribute your assets. It may not be what you had in mind.

Keeping estate planning documents in a safe or safe deposit box. Documents need to be where someone can get them in an emergency or after your passing. Safety deposit boxes are often sealed on the death of the owner. Give copies of your estate plan to your appointed executor or trustee, a trusted family member and your estate planning attorney.

Missing key documents. If your estate plan lacks key documents, your heirs might find themselves battling over the estate. Make sure your estate plan includes these documents:

• Last will and testament—This document outlines all final wishes and instructions for distributing your assets and how you want your affairs managed after you die. It also is used to name a guardian for minor children and an executor to oversee the instructions in the will.
• Beneficiary designations—Any account allowing for beneficiaries, including IRAs, pension plans, investment accounts and insurance policies, will pass directly to named beneficiaries. Be sure that these are up to date.
• Durable power of attorney for medical care—Allows another person to make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated. Depending on your jurisdiction, it may include an advanced healthcare directive, which gives your instructions on whether or not to use life support.
• Funeral instructions—Do you want a traditional burial? Cremation? Tell your family your wishes for a funeral or memorial service.
• Proof of identity—Your Social Security card, birth certificate, marriage and/or divorce certificate and any prenuptial agreements will be needed for administering the estate.
• Deeds or loan documents for large assets—Collect paperwork for homes, boats and other big assets.

Digital assets. These include websites, cloud storage, social media accounts and cryptocurrency, to name a few. By assigning a digital fiduciary and sharing key information, you help heirs avoid identity theft and lost assets.

Failing to update your plan. Your estate plan needs to reflect the changes in your life. If your estate plan is outdated, you may unintentionally disinherit beneficiaries.

Appointing the wrong person as executor or trustee. If your eldest child is a disaster with money management, don’t name them your executor. Consider a trusted person who is unbiased and able to manage money and family dynamics and talk with them about taking on this role before appointing them to this critical role.

Reference: Kiplinger (Dec. 30, 2023) “Common Estate Planning Mistakes”

Beneficiary Designations Need to Be Updated

This case illustrates why updating beneficiary designation is essential, and while it takes place in New Jersey, it applies to any person in any state. The National Law Review article, “Estate of Michael Jones: A Reminder to Keep Designations of Non-Probate Assets Consistent with Your Testamentary Intentions,” presents a strong case for annual updates.

Michael D. Jones and his spouse were separated for several years and eventually divorced. Their divorce agreement called for Mr. Jones to pay his former spouse $200,000 in installments of $50,000 per year. If he died before his former spouse, his estate was to compensate her for the remainder of the balance.

When Mr. Jones died, he had only paid her $110,000. She filed a creditor’s claim against the estate, seeking the remaining balance. The estate opposed her claim, saying she had already received more than $77,000 through the decedent’s federal bonds, designating the spouse as the POD (payable on death) beneficiary.

The case went to court, where the trial court found the POD designation was presumptively revoked based on a law providing that a divorce automatically revokes a disposition of property to a former spouse in a governing instrument.

She appealed the decision and won.

The appellate court said the bond was subject to federal regulation, which had specific procedures for revising the beneficiary of a federal bond. Case law from around the country supported this decision, noting federal regulations preempt state laws that conflict with them.

The appellate court found in her favor, and the bond proceeds belonged to the former spouse and passed outside of the estate. They were not considered part of the payout required under the divorce settlement agreement. They belonged to her.

This decision should be a wake-up call to anyone with assets they expect to pass outside of their estate, including federal bonds, insurance policies, IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, bank accounts with beneficiaries, or any account with a payable on death designation.

An annual review of beneficiary designations should occur while you and your estate planning attorney review your estate plan. It’s a simple task. However, it can significantly affect how your assets will be distributed if overlooked.

Reference: The National Law Review (Dec. 7, 2023) “Estate of Michael Jones: A Reminder to Keep Designations of Non-Probate Assets Consistent with Your Testamentary Intentions”

Can You Completely Avoid Probate?

When you die, your estate will typically need to go to your heirs through the probate process, which can take several months, might be expensive and will be stressful for loved ones. The article “How To Avoid Probate In 2023” from Forbes applies to avoiding probate in any year and contains useful tips and recommendations.

Simplified Procedures in Some States. Estate law is state-specific, so in some states, there is a means of transferring wealth for a small estate. An estate planning attorney will know how your jurisdiction works. Eligibility varies based on the estate's total value, the types of assets transferred and who the heirs are. Just because the process is simplified doesn’t mean there won’t be some court involvement. The estate may be vulnerable to creditors, and estate taxes may be owed to the state, so you’ll still want to take steps to protect your estate.

Gifting Assets With Warm Hands. In 2024, you can gift up to $18,000 per person without triggering a gift tax. Married couples may gift a combined $36,000. Let’s say you and your spouse have two children. You may give $36,000 to each child, taking $72,000 out of your estate. This is used as a simple way to reduce a taxable estate. However, don’t gift without carefully analyzing what you and your spouse need to live on. You’ll also want to be sure that you have enough funds for emergencies.

Creating a Trust. Creating a trust is another way to take assets out of your taxable and probate estate. Money, investment accounts and even insurance policies can be moved into trusts. The trust is a legal entity, and once assets are transferred into the trust, they are owned by the trust and not by the person who established the trust. The language in the trust document outlines exactly how you want the assets to be distributed, and a trustee must be selected to manage the trust.

Many different types of trusts serve a variety of purposes. A revocable living trust allows the grantor to change or modify the trust whenever the grantor wants. Nevertheless, the high level of access and flexibility comes with a cost—the assets in the trust may be subject to creditor claims and estate taxes.  An irrevocable trust cannot be changed and provides better protection. Your estate planning attorney will know which type of trust best suits your needs. A trust may also be useful when planning for incapacity and qualifying for Medicaid for long-term care.

Joint Ownership. Owning property with another person can help transfer assets after death. However, some risks are involved. If you and the other person have a falling out or disagree over how the property should be managed, or one wants to sell and the other doesn’t, you could end up in court. In addition, if the other person is sued or goes through a divorce, you may find yourself owning assets with someone you didn’t plan on being in business with.

Pay-on-Death Accounts. Some, but not all, banks and financial institutions allow accounts to be set up to pay another person upon the death of the owner. If possible, you’ll need to list a beneficiary on the account, and the assets will transfer automatically to that person outside of probate. Make sure to update your beneficiary designations, so the correct person receives the assets upon your death. If you have multiple children and only one child’s name is listed as beneficiary, they have no legal obligation to share the assets with their siblings. Using Pay-On-Death accounts should be coordinated with the whole of your estate plan, if an equal distribution is your goal.

If a will is prepared improperly, your family could become embroiled in a court proceeding to settle the estate. The best way to avoid or minimize court involvement is to work with an experienced estate planning attorney who can create a plan addressing your unique situation and achieve your goals.

Reference: Forbes (Nov. 30, 2023) “How To Avoid Probate In 2023”

Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Home to Your Children

For financial and sentimental reasons, many people want to leave their homes to their children.  However, there are many reasons making this a bad idea, says the article “Generational Wealth: 7 Reasons to NOT Leave the Family Home to Your Children” from yahoo! finance.

Homes are transferred to children in several ways. However, each has drawbacks, from tax liabilities to the risk of losing the family home entirely. Here are how homes are typically transferred:

• Trusts
• Gifts
• Inheritances
• Transfer on death deed
• Sales

A Probate Hold Up. If the home is left to the children in your will, it could get tangled up in the probate process. Probate could hold up the transfer of the home by months or even years. If the house is tied up in probate, who will take on the tasks of paying the mortgage, if there is one, maintaining the home and paying bills? Who will protect the house from vandalism, squatters, or thefts if it is vacant?

Capital Gains Taxes. If the house is left to the children and they decide to sell it, they may have to pay a capital gains tax if the home has appreciated since the owner’s death. If the home is gifted to the children before you die and they sell it at a future date, they’ll have to pay capital gains taxes based on the market value of the house when they received it and the sale price. Where will the money for these taxes come from?

More Taxes to Consider. If you place the home in a living trust and instruct it to be transferred to the children upon your death, you have not shielded it from estate taxes. If you do this to reduce assets to qualify for Medicaid, the living trust is still a countable asset in most states. Your estate planning attorney will know how this might impact your estate and your Medicaid accountability.

What if Your Children Lose the House? Gifting the home to your children, adding them to the deed while you are living, or even selling the home to them exposes the house to risk. The home may face foreclosure if any person on the deed has financial difficulties and can’t make the mortgage payments. If they go through a divorce, the house will be considered a marital asset. Your years of paying the mortgage and caring for the home will evaporate.

Do They Want the House? Parents who feel generous may assume their children want their home when they might not. They will see it as yet another piece of unfinished business left for them to manage when their own lives might be very busy with their own children and careers. If they grew up in the home and have fond memories of it, this will make selling it even harder.

Can They Afford the House? Not every child enjoys financial success. If they can’t afford a mortgage, property taxes, utility bills and the inevitable costs of home ownership, like replacing a roof, etc., home ownership may become a huge burden. If “forced” into possession via inheritance, they may have to sell it at a lower cost to get out from under the bills.

Will They Fight Over the House? Families experiencing grief are not in the best place to make big decisions and are vulnerable to spats that rise to legal disputes. If one child is living in the house and wants to keep it, will they be able to buy out the other’s shares of ownership? A discussion of what you all want to happen with the house and what is realistic needs to occur. This should be followed by a conversation with your estate planning attorney to have the plan made, whether it’s part of your will or another type of agreement.

Reference: yahoo! finance (Dec. 11, 2023) “Generational Wealth: 7 Reasons to NOT Leave the Family Home to Your Children”

Can I Prevent Children from Fighting over my Estate?

Even the best of sibling relationships can become strained after the death of a parent. This is especially true if the estate includes real estate, like a family or vacation home. More than one adult child often wishes to inherit the asset for sentimental and financial reasons, according to the recent article “Estate Planning: Reducing risk of family in-fighting” from Lake County News.

Sometimes, a family discussion between parents and children about the planned property division can reach an agreement, becoming part of the parent’s estate plan. However, there are times when this isn’t possible.

When the family is a late-in-life blended family, gaining consensus among the siblings may be more difficult, especially if the two sets of children were never close or never got along.

Some children may expect their biological parents to leave the assets brought into the second marriage to their biological children. Stepparents need to take steps to ensure that their separate property goes to their own children. Their stepchildren don’t have to approve of the gift. However, it is crucial for proper estate planning to be done in advance.

If the parent wishes to give each child an equal share of their inheritance and the inheritance includes real property, it may be best to use cash gifts to equalize their shares. The monetary gifts might be funded through life insurance proceeds or by having the successor trustee borrow against the real estate.

This may mean the child who inherits the real property will take it subject to the loan, which they will pay off, or refinance the debt upon distribution.

Families who own businesses require special consideration because some children may be actively involved while others are not. Succession planning will need to be done, including placing the business in a partnership or a corporation. The children involved in the business may be made general partners or executive officers in the corporation. In contrast, the children not involved in the business could be made passive partners or given ownership interests without an active participation role.

Suppose the estate includes valuable heirlooms or items with great sentimental value. Conversations about the individual items should occur while parents live. In that case, the wishes should be incorporated into the will.

If it seems as if the family can anticipate disputes over possessions or assets, an experienced estate planning attorney can prepare an estate plan designed to withstand challenges. This type of protection varies depending on the circumstances and the anticipated nature of the challenges.

One common scenario is a disgruntled child pressuring the parents to change their will to favor the child. If a no-contest clause is used, where anyone who disputes the will and loses the lawsuit will also lose what they would have otherwise inherited from the estate, other siblings may lose out entirely. Preparing a will for challenges requires a lot of strategy and planning .

In some states, it is possible to petition the court to confirm the terms of the trust while the grantor is living. This forces any contest to occur while the parent is still living and can testify to their intentions. In some high-value estates, this is a pre-emptive strategy to be considered.

Reference: Lake County News (Dec. 9, 2023) “Estate Planning: Reducing risk of family in-fighting”

How Does a Pour-Over Will Work?

A Revocable Living Trust allows a married couple or a single person to direct what they wish to happen to their possessions after death. It also indicates who will be in charge of carrying out their instructions without the involvement of a probate court, explains a recent article from Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press, “If you have a living trust, you also need a pour-over will.”

It should be noted that the Revocable Living Trust instructions only apply to assets placed into the Trust, referred to as “funding the trust.” This crucial step must occur as soon as the trust is created. Your estate planning attorney can help you get your assets into the trust. However, if you acquire any new assets over time, they, too, must be placed into the trust.

If you don’t remember to put them into the trust, they become part of your probate estate unless you take steps to prevent this from happening.

If you don’t have a will and assets are not included in your Revocable Living Trust, your assets will be distributed according to your state’s laws. This is probably not what you thought when you created the Revocable Living Trust.

However, this is a problem with a solution. Your estate planning attorney needs to create what is referred to as a “Pour-Over Will.” This type of will differs from a traditional one because it includes specific instructions to place any assets not already in your trust into your trust as soon as possible.

This type of will must go through the probate process. However, probate will only apply to assets left out of the trust. Having most of your assets inside the Revocable Living Trust will help probate to be less arduous for all concerned.

The goal of using a Revocable Living Trust is to avoid probate altogether. Therefore, combining the Revocable Living Trust with a Pour-Over Will adds another layer of protection all trust users should have in place.

If you are a parent with minor children, you should have had a will created by an experienced estate planning attorney as soon as your children were born. The will is used to name the person or people who you want to serve as guardians for your minor child or children if both of the child’s parents are deceased or unavailable to act as parents.

Without this provision in your will, a court will determine who will raise your child. Will it be the person you would have chosen? There’s no way to know unless you put this information into your will.

These details in estate planning go a long way in protecting your family and ensuring that your wishes are carried out.

Reference: Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press (Nov. 29, 2023) “If you have a living trust, you also need a pour-over will”

How Do Gifting Strategies Minimize Estate Taxes?

Understanding the role of strategic gifting provides an opportunity to significantly reduce estate tax liabilities, according to a recent article from Forbes, “6 Effective Gifting Strategies To Minimize Your Estate Taxes.” If your goal is to facilitate wealth transition across generations and preserve wealth, these will be useful to know and use.

The annual gift tax exclusion allows you to give generous gifts to as many people as you want without taxes. In 2023, the maximum amount is $17,000 per person and up to $34,000 for married couples filing jointly. In 2024, this increases to $18,000 per person and $36,000 for married. This provision is a foundation for reducing taxable estates. Your estate planning attorney may recommend setting up an annual gifting schedule or using special occasions like a wedding or the birth of a child to make gifts. You can reduce the eventual estate tax burden by systematically gifting within the exclusion limits each year.

A second strategy is maximizing the lifetime gift tax exemption. Unlike an annual gift, the lifetime gift tax exemption is a cumulative amount you may give away throughout your lifetime without incurring gift taxes. This IRS provision is especially useful for those who wish to transfer substantial wealth. In 2023, the limit is $12.92 million; in 2024, adjusted for inflation, the limit will be $13.61 million.

Using the lifetime exemption includes gifting assets expected to appreciate, like stocks or real property. By gifting these assets earlier, any future appreciations occur outside of your own estate, maximizing the impact of the exemption.

You can enhance this strategy by combining the lifetime exemption with the annual gift tax exclusion. For example, parents might gift their children a portion of their estate annually, staying within the annual exclusion limit, and then use their lifetime exemption for larger gifts.

Medical and educational exclusions allow you to pay for another person’s tuition or medical expenses. The payments must be made directly to the institution and not the individual. Following this important rule allows you to avoid incurring any gift tax or having the amount impact the annual exclusion limit of lifetime exemptions. These payments can only cover tuition and direct medical expenses, not related costs like books or room and board.

Trusts can be used for gifting, allowing you to manage and distribute assets according to your own terms. Your estate planning attorney will be able to guide you to what best suits your situation. For instance, an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust shelters life insurance proceeds from estate taxes, effectively reducing the taxable estate size. A Grantor Retained Annuity Trust can transfer appreciating assets to beneficiaries, while providing the grantor a fixed annuity, potentially reducing gift taxes.

There is also the Charitable Remainder Trust, which provides income to the donor and later benefits a charity, resulting in income and estate tax advantages.

Charitable giving has long been a favored way to do good while obtaining valuable tax benefits. One approach is to use donor-advised funds, which allow for a charitable contribution, getting an immediate tax deduction, and then recommending grants from the fund over time. Making pledges or binding

promises to give to charities can also create current tax deductions while committing to the future of your charity of choice.

Timing gifts and their frequency can have implications for the donor and recipient. Strategic timing needs to address asset value fluctuations and tax law changes. Timing involves market conditions, life events, or anticipated changes in legislation.

The frequency of gifting can also be critical in estate planning. Regular, systematic gifting can steadily reduce the size of the estate, potentially leading to significant tax reductions over time. Be mindful about balancing gifting with personal financial needs to not overextend yourself.

Reference: Forbes (Nov. 25, 2023) “6 Effective Gifting Strategies To Minimize Your Estate Taxes”

What Does the Executor of an Estate Do?

Being named the executor of an estate usually means you’ve lost someone close to you, and it’s a challenging time. The article “What to do when you’re the executor of an estate” from Bankrate explains what you’ll need to do and outlines the steps to stay on track.

The executor is the personal representative of a deceased person’s estate until the probate process is completed and all assets have been distributed. One of the key tasks is distributing assets according to the terms of the decedent’s will.

You can say no if you are not able or willing to serve as the executor. A secondary executor may be named in the will, or the probate judge can name a replacement. However, this task is doable if you set up a detailed checklist and work with an estate planning attorney.

Obtain the death certificate. The funeral home issues these; you’ll need them to notify banks, investment firms, life insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and others. You’ll also need them for filing final tax returns. You’ll also need to notify Social Security to turn off payments going directly into the person’s bank account.

Locate the will and any trust documents. Hopefully, the person who notified you of the death will know where these documents are. Depending on the state where the decedent was domiciled, the last will needs to be filed within a few days to a month to a year after the death. If there are trusts, the trust documents name the trustees in charge of distributing assets owned by the trusts. Trust assets can be distributed immediately by the trustees without court approval.

Seek professional advice. After reviewing the will and trust documents, you’ll better understand how complex the estate is. You may want to consult with an estate planning attorney, CPA, appraiser, or other professionals whose expertise can help you avoid any mistakes. Trying to do it yourself could leave you personally responsible for mistakes, and the process may take far longer.

File “letters testamentary.” If the estate goes through probate, the court will legally confirm your appointment as executor with letters testamentary, sometimes referred to as surrogate certificates. These are legal documents proving your authority to act on behalf of the estate, pay bills, file tax returns, manage and distribute assets, deal with beneficiaries and open or close bank accounts.

Locate and protect assets. In the best scenario, the executor is given a complete list of assets and related information. This would include wills, trusts and paperwork related to insurance, investment accounts, prearranged funeral plans, bank accounts, real property, artwork, business interests and partnerships. A complete list of digital accounts is also needed.

Pay bills and taxes. The estate is responsible for paying debts, including income and estate taxes. If the debts exceed assets, beneficiaries are not responsible for paying them. The executor opens an estate bank account, which pays bills for the estate. Before paying debts, the executor must confirm the estate’s ability to pay. If a list of monthly bills, income and debts were not left for the executor, they’ll need to figure this out.

Don’t rush. It’s common for the executor to want to get the tasks done, distribute any inheritance to beneficiaries and have done with the process. However, if you rush and miss some important tasks, you could be found personally liable. It can take six months to a year to work through an estate. Keep careful records of all transactions and a copy of everything sent and received from creditors, beneficiaries, financial institutions, the IRS, the Social Security Administration and others.

Having an estate planning attorney can help. An attorney can also mediate between the executor and beneficiaries if things take a turn for the worse.

Reference: Bankrate (Nov. 17, 2023) “What to do when you’re the executor of an estate”

Gift and Estate Tax Exemption Limits Increase for 2024

The year 2024 will bring more reasons to be generous, since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has increased the limits for gift and estate tax exemption amounts to their highest amounts ever. It’s good news to start the year with, reports the article “IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits—Here’s How Much You Can Give Without Paying” from yahoo! finance.

Those with large estates should always consider gifting during their lifetime to reduce taxes by using the annual gift and lifetime gift and estate tax exemptions. Right now, you may give an unlimited number of people up to $17,000 each in a single year without taxes. However, in 2024, this increases to $18,000 per person. For married couples starting in 2024, a gift of $36,000 can be made to any number of people, tax-free.

More good news: the IRS announced that the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption will increase to $13.61 million in 2024. A gift exceeding the annual limits won’t automatically prompt a gift tax. The difference is taken from the person’s lifetime exemption limit, and no taxes are owed. Your estate planning attorney will create a long-term strategy to use these exemptions to manage your estate tax liabilities.

Let’s say you were feeling generous and bought a friend a car for $20,000 in 2023. You would have exceeded the annual limit of $17,000 but wouldn’t owe any additional taxes. You’d use IRS Form 709 to report the gift and deduct $3,000 from your lifetime exemption of $12.92 million for this year. If you instead make the gift in 2024, you’d subtract $2,000 from your $13.61 million limit.

Gifts between American spouses are virtually unlimited. Couples have $24.84 million in estate tax exemptions, and going over this limit is only taxed upon the surviving spouse's death.

However, a gift to a non-U.S. citizen, regardless of whether or not they are a U.S. resident, falls under different rules and is subject to an annual tax exclusion amount. The annual amount one may give to a spouse who is not a U.S. citizen increases to $185,000 in 2024 from $175,000 in 2023.

Something else to keep in mind—unless Congress acts, the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption is due to return to the pre-2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act level of $5.49 million on December 31, 2025. Your wisest move is to speak with your estate planning attorney about a strategic plan for gift-giving and planning to minimize estate tax liability before the change occurs.

Reference: yahoo! finance (Nov. 14, 2023) “IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits—Here’s How Much You Can Give Without Paying”

Do Heirs Pay Credit Card Debt?

When you consider the average credit card balance in 2023 was $6,365, chances are many Americans will leave an unpaid credit card balance if they die suddenly. A recent article from yahoo! finance asks and answers the question, “What happens to credit card debt when you die?”

Many people think death leads to debt forgiveness. However, this isn’t the case. Some forms of debt, like federal student loans, may be discharged if the borrower dies. However, this is the exception and not the rule.

Credit card debt doesn’t evaporate when the cardholder goes away. It generally must be paid by the estate, which means the amount of debt will reduce your loved one’s inheritance. In some cases, credit card debt might mean they don’t receive an inheritance at all.

Outstanding credit card debt is paid by your estate, which means your individual assets owned at the time of death, including real estate, bank accounts, or any other valuables acquired during your life.

Upon death, your will is submitted to the court for probate, the legal process of reviewing the transfer of assets. It ensures that all debts and taxes are paid before issuing the remaining assets to your designated heirs.

If you have a will, you likely have an executor—the person you named responsible for carrying out your wishes. They are responsible for settling any outstanding debts of the estate. If there’s no will, the court will appoint an administrator or a personal representative to manage the assets.

In most cases, your heirs won’t have to pay off your credit card debt with their own funds. However, you may be surprised to learn there are exceptions:

• Married people living in community property states. In a community property state, the deceased spouse is responsible for repaying credit card debt incurred by their spouse. In 2023, those states include Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
• Credit cards with joint owners. If you had a joint credit card shared with a partner or relative, the surviving joint owner is responsible for the full outstanding balance. Only joint users are responsible for repaying credit card debt. If your partner was an authorized user and not an owner, they aren’t legally responsible for the debt.

Debt collectors may try to collect from family members, even though the family members are not responsible for paying credit card debts. The debt collector may not state or imply that the family member is personally responsible for the debt, unless they are the spouse in a community property state or a joint account owner.

If a debt collector claims you personally owe money, request a debt validation letter showing your legal responsibility for the debt. Otherwise, you have no legal obligation to pay for it yourself.

When someone dies, their estate is responsible for paying debts, including credit card debt. However, debt is repaid in a certain order. In general, unsecured debt like credit card balances are the lowest priority and paid last.

Some accounts are exempt from debt payment:

• Money in a 401(k) or IRA with a designated beneficiary goes directly to the beneficiary and is exempt from any debt repayment.
• Life insurance death benefits go directly to the named beneficiary and go directly to the beneficiaries.

If a loved one has died and they had credit cards, stop using any of their cards, even if you are an authorized user or joint owner. Review the deceased’s credit report to learn what accounts are open in their name and the balance on each account. Notify credit card issuers and alert credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You may need to submit a written notification, a copy of the death certificate and proof of your being an authorized person to act on behalf of the estate.

Talk with an estate planning attorney to find out how your state’s laws treat the outstanding debt of a deceased person, as these laws vary by state.

Reference: yahoo! finance (Nov. 9, 2023) “What happens to credit card debt when you die?”