Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Missouri

Re: Credit card obligation

Unless you used their credit cards or bought things on those cards after their death, the answer would be no. Normally a person's liability at the time of their death is assumed by their estate. The credit card company has one year from the date of death to pursue the estate.

Re: Credit card obligation

If your wife was not a cosigner on a card, she does not owe the credit card debt. It is horrible, but not uncommon for credit card companies to pressure survivng children to pay the decedent's debt. They know that some of their cardholders will die. They account for that in the interest they charge. Missouri law allows for creditors to open a probate estate for the debtor, to see if there are assets from which they might get paid. If the debt to any one card is less than $10k, it is unlikely they will do that.

Good Luck