Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Indiana

Re: Adult Child's Legal Responsibilities Toward Deceased Parent

If you sign a contract stating that you will pay for a funeral or other expenses, then you must pay for it.

Otherwise, no one will require you to personally pay for someone else's funeral expenses.

If no one steps forward and takes responsibility, then those expenses will end up coming out of the estate.

Re: Adult Child's Legal Responsibilities Toward Deceased Parent

If you have signed on the payment agreement at the funeral home, you are responsible for the cost you agreed to pay. If you are the executor or personal representative of the estate, you are liable for seeing that the assets remaining at death are applied to final expenses. If you are the survivor of jointly owned property, this property is not subject to the claims of the deceased parent's creditors or expenses of his estate unless the Court were to decide that you were a joint owner only as an accomodation to the parent. Otherwise, there is no liability.