Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Washington

Re: Parental Death

The adult children are not responsible for ANY debts of a deceased parent absent a written agreement to assume those debts.

The responsible entity is the estate of the deceased person. If the estate is solvent and the debts are secured, the debts may or may not get paid, depending.

But if some creditor is calling and saying you have to pay some bill of your parent's, please contact the attorney general and report this.

Probate in Washington state is simple and straightforward and there is an expedited way to make it even easier if the decedent's assets do not include real property and are otherwise worth under 100K.

Bank accounts are often not an estate asset, but rather pass directly to the other person on the account. Life insurance is not a probate asset.

When you say "a small amount", I can't tell if that is $300 or $300,000. If you do a consult with a local probate attorney, they can help you. If you cannot afford one, call your county's Bar association and ask for a referral to a probate clinic.

Hope this helps. Elizabeth Powell