If you are married and your spouse dies, you may be surprised to learn that you can be held responsible for their credit card debt. If you live in a community property state, you may be liable for all of your deceased spouse’s debt, regardless of whether or not you were an authorized user of the account. Here, we’ll explain how you can be sued for your spouse’s credit card debt after death and offer some solutions to protect yourself.

Community Property States

Community property states are those where married couples are jointly responsible for debts incurred during the marriage. There are nine community property states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. If you live in one of these states and your spouse dies, you may be responsible for your credit card debt.

How Can You Be Sued?

If your spouse dies and leaves behind unpaid credit card debt, the credit card company may attempt to collect from you. They may do this by suing you or by garnishing your wages. If they sue you and win, they will likely get a judgment against you for the amount of debt plus interest and fees. If they garnish your wages, they will contact your employer and request that a portion of your wages be withheld each pay period and sent to them until the debt is paid off.

How to Protect Yourself?

Here are the best ways to consolidate credit card debt if you live in a community property state and are worried about being held responsible for your deceased spouse’s credit card debt. First, you can ask the credit card company to close the account. It will prevent any further charges from being made to the account.

Second, you can file for bankruptcy. It will discharge any debts that were incurred before the bankruptcy was filed. Finally, you can contact a debt consolidation company like Reliant Management Solutions to see if they can help negotiate with credit card companies to lower the debt owed.

Call Reliant Management Solutions for the Best Options
No one wants to pay for their deceased spouse’s debts. Still, unfortunately, in community property states, it is possible if your spouse dies with unpaid credit card debt.

If you’re struggling with credit card debt, call Reliant Management Solutions for debt relief programs. We have a team of experienced negotiators who can work with your creditors to lower your debt. We can help you create a budget and get a payment plan that works for you. Call us today to learn more. Call 407-789-1447