What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Indiana
My ex-husband passed away suddenly a little over a month ago in Indiana. He neglected to change his will naming me as Personal Representative. Besides his car (which was owned jointly by both he and I and he never changed the title) I am estimating his assets to be worth less than $1000.00. (a small checking account and some inexpensive personal property. He was heavily in debt with credit cards and late on his rent. He also filed for bankruptcy a year ago but all indications are that all unsecured debts have not been discharged and he owes tens of thousands of dollars. The small bit of life insurance he had will be payable to our two minor children and held in trust until they reach age 18. Here is my problem. His siblings made the arrangements with the funeral home to cremate his body without discussing any of it with the children then left it up to us to decide what to do with the ashes. The kids thought it would be good to place his ashes inside their father's parents' crypt so I had to arrange all of that at the last minute and I had to sign the contract as well with the cemetary. Here is the problem. There is not enough money in the estate to pay any of these bills. Am I going to be stuck paying these out of my own pocket? His siblings told the funeral home that I am to pay the bill. The bills total almost $5,000! Any advice would be much appreciated.
My ex-husband passed away suddenly a little over a month ago in Indiana. He neglected to change his will naming me as Personal Representative. Besides his car (which was owned jointly by both he and I and he never changed the title) I am estimating his assets to be worth less than $1000.00. (a small checking account and some inexpensive personal property. He was heavily in debt with credit cards and late on his rent. He also filed for bankruptcy a year ago but all indications are that all unsecured debts have not been discharged and he owes tens of thousands of dollars. The small bit of life insurance he had will be payable to our two minor children and held in trust until they reach age 18. Here is my problem. His siblings made the arrangements with the funeral home to cremate his body without discussing any of it with the children then left it up to us to decide what to do with the ashes. The kids thought it would be good to place his ashes inside their father's parents' crypt so I had to arrange all of that at the last minute and I had to sign the contract as well with the cemetary. Here is the problem. There is not enough money in the estate to pay any of these bills. Am I going to be stuck paying these out of my own pocket? His siblings told the funeral home that I am to pay the bill. The bills total almost $5,000! Any advice would be much appreciated.