Legal Question in Consumer Law in Wisconsin

Adult children are not automatically responsible for the medical expenses of their parents, but there are many situations where this can change. For example, if the adult child ever signed check-in forms at a medical appointment or in admitting the parent to a hospital, the fine print in those forms can sometimes include an agreement to assume financial responsibility for the bill. Additionally, if the child has power of attorney for the parent, is court appointed guardian, or otherwise manages funds for a parent, it is quite appropriate for collectors to address their inquiries him (to pay via the parent's funds). Anyone who is in collection for medical debt, however, should also be aware that it is usually completely dischargeable in bankruptcy by spending somewhere between one and two thousand dollars to file a chapter 7 proceeding. You (with your son's assistance if he is involved), therefore owe it to yourselves to schedule a consultation with an experienced bankruptcy attorney if you are having serious collector problems. My comments in this public web forum are intended only for public educational purposes and are not legal advice specifically tailored to you and your case. Instead, you should retain a lawyer in order to meet your legal needs, since I will be taking no action on your case. Disclosure of confidential information in a public web forum is not recommended and is always subject to being used against you in court. You are welcome to contact my Racine, WI office at 262-633-3090 or email me at [email protected] for further information. Web forum answers may contain attorney advertising materials.