Is there a responsibility to pay off a parents debt when they die?

[SummersBreeze]

My parents are separated. My father was an alcoholic when I was small. He continued to be an alcoholic. He wrecked his health and his finances.

Last weekend I walked into him walking through the town. It was the first time I saw him in years because I estranged. He was drunk. He claimed he was going to the hospital for a procedure and he was likely not going to make it and he started crying. It was just lies looking for sympathy.

He's an irresponsible man. I'm wondering what happens when a parents dies and they leave behind a debt? I don't know what his financial circumstances are but they are probably dreadful. They were bad a number of years ago and he didn't change.

Does his offspring become liable for his debts on his death or do they get written off?

No, you won't be liable.

As above,you wont be held accountable for his debt xx

The only thing is if they leave you money, the debt will possibly have to be settled before the estate is distributed.

But you don't have to pay from your own money for debts of a parent.

No.
If he has anything then it will go but nobody can come after you for his debts, don't worry.

It depends what you mean by written off. If he leaves any estate of any sort, then a debt should come out of that if it can

So if he has 10k worth of debt but has 12k stuck under a mattress then the executor should pay off the debt leaving 2k to be inherited by whoever

FIL had a lot of debt, it was written off when he died.

As long as it’s soley in his name it will be fine.
m

No. You're not responsible for anyone's debt when they die, unless they were a joint debt with yourself.

has your mother fully separated her finances from his? Have they never divorced? That is perhaps more pertinent?

The debt should be settled out of his estate, by the executor, before anyone benefits. But if he doesn't leave anything of any value the descendants aren't liable to pay off debts.

Your mother should get that divorce sorted now. It must've been really upsetting for you. I'm so sorry. You are not liable for any of his debts but if he's used your mum's name then she might well find she is liable. Now is the time to sort that out and not later.

As pps have said, you won’t be liable for any of his debts.
If he leaves money and/or assets ( property, shares, gold watches) then the taxman, the undertaker and debts are paid in that order. Any money left is distributed according to a Will. If no Will is in force then any money left over would pass to the next of kin.
I have heard of creditors pursuing dependents and trying to nag them into paying. If this happens to you don’t budge, nothing to do with you and report to police.
Alcoholism in a family member is very difficult to deal with. You can’t help yoyr father if he won’t help himself first.

If he has no assets the debt will be written off. You certainly won't be liable to pay from your own pocket. If he leaves any money or property then money owing would probably have to come out of that.

Only the estate is liable for any debts.
so if your dad has life insurance, a property, savings etc any debts would need to be repaid from these before anyone benefits from the will.

No you are not responsible but if you are the beneficiary of his estate, all debts have to be settled before any money is distributed. The funeral costs have top priority on his estate I should add, but the council will fund a basic cremation if there's no money

Sorry to hear that, my Dad was also an alcoholic who squandered his money.

When he died last year we sold his house, the proceeds of which first had to pay all of his debts, then the rest was for the beneficiaries (my brother and I). If the house hadn't provided enough money to pay his debts the rest would've been written off, not our responsibility at all.