Who is responsible for credit card debt when a spouse dies?
Sophia Koch
Updated on January 27, 2026
After someone has passed, their estate is responsible for paying off any debts owed, including those from credit cards. Relatives typically aren’t responsible for using their own money to pay off credit card debt after death.
Who will inherit your debt when you die?
Generally, the deceased person’s estate is responsible for paying any unpaid debts. The estate’s finances are handled by the personal representative, executor, or administrator. That person pays any debts from the money in the estate, not from their own money.
Who is responsible for paying off deceased spouse’s credit card debt?
In almost all other cases, the deceased spouse’s estate is responsible for paying all debts, including credit card debts. The executor of the deceased’s estate is in charge of paying off debts, but is not personally liable to pay them. In some states, jointly held property like a house is part of a deceased spouses estate.
Who is responsible for spouses credit card debt in Ontario?
Specifically, with credit card debt, there is also the issue of being a supplementary cardholder on your spouse’s credit card account. If none of those exceptions come into play, then one spouse is not responsible for the other spouse’s debt in Ontario.
Can a spouse be held liable for your credit card debt?
Under certain circumstances, you can be held liable for your spouse’s credit card debt. Whether you may be on the hook for your spouse’s credit card debt depends on: where you live. whether it is a joint credit card. whether you are a cosigner, and. whether the debt was assigned to you in a divorce proceeding.
Can a deceased spouse open a credit account in Your Name?
You might want to open a new credit account in your name. When doing so, keep in mind that you must use only your name when applying. Including your deceased spouse’s name will result in a joint account. Experian® automatically updates its records with periodic reports from the Social Security Administration.