My Elderly Mother Lives with me, Am I Responsible for her Debts?
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Summary
My mother is 86 years old and lives with me in my home. Am I responsible for any of her debts such as credit cards or line of credit at her bank? |
“My mother is 86 years old and lives with me in my home. Am I responsible for any of her debts such as credit cards or line of credit at her bank? The only thing I am on is her checking account with her.”
Generally speaking, unless you have specifically agreed to assume her debts, or have assumed some more specific form of guardianship or other decision-making responsibility for her, you will likely not be held responsible for her debts. Creditors may be able to go after assets that you hold jointly with her, such as the checking account, and if it came down to a legal battle or a bankruptcy, the court may allow them to investigate your finances to see if she had transferred any money to you to avoid being attached. If there is a chance that your mother is facing any kind of bankruptcy situation, you should help her locate a bankruptcy attorney as soon as possible; the longer you wait, the fewer options she may have for avoiding legal difficulties.
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Ray Everett-Church is a privacy and security consultant with PrivacyClue LLC and is co-author of "Internet Privacy for Dummies" Contact This Author
State laws vary, and the above is intended as general advice, and not direct legal advice regarding any one particular situation in any one state. For direct personal legal advice related to your own situation you should consult an attorney familiar with the laws of your state and with your situation.