posted by: Ben A. Neiburger
Elder Law Attorney www.elderlawillinois.com
Under
the laws of many states, a surviving
spouse is responsible to pay for any "family expenses" of the couple or
any expenses for the deceased spouse that the surviving spouse agreed to in
writing or that the surviving spouse ordered for the deceased spouse.
There
is case law that says that a spouse's hospital and medical expenses are a family
expense. However, different rules may apply if there was a separation at
the time the deceased spouse incurred the medical bills. Therefore, under most
circumstances, the surviving spouse is responsible for medical bills of the
deceased spouse. You should, however, check
with an attorney in your state to determine whether this applies to you since
the laws are a bit different in each
state.
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