unusual request for payment of services

[fentob]

What is the name of your state? caifornia
The deceased had her property and accounts placed into joint accounts and the property into a joint tenant arrangement. This happened just days prior to her passing. The estate did not go through a probate process and was settled by the small estate process. We are being harrassed by a medical provider that claims services rendered from 1993 to the day she passed. $32,000 to be exact. I forwarded these expenses to the insurance and they drew a red flag and refuse to pay. They commented that we are not responsible either. What is the law for this type of issue? Do we wait until the provider sues. The only corrispondence I sent on the matter was recognizing the providers demands and requesting they go through the medical insurance.

[Dandy Don]

Is there enough money left to be able to pay all or a part of this bill?

The problem was that no probate was done. If probate had been done, the creditor would have had the chance to know about the death because the estate would have been public notice.

[fentob]

I am the informal rep of an estate a family member. The decedent passed shorty after being diagnosed with cancer. The estates assets were absorbed by family members through a joint tenancy with right of survivorship grant deeds and placing co-ownerships of bank assets. This process was final just a few days prior to her passing. We assumed it would eliminate the Probate process. We processed the estates personal under CA probate code of a small estate under sections 13100-13116.
We assumed this would eliminate personal assets. How does the Courts judge those assets?
We have notified all the creditors, paid taxes, sold the home, dispursed personal property. Everything is covered except one issue.
There is a claim for health services rendered during a harrasment lawsuit in 1993 to the date of death. I notified the Service Provider and the Disability Carrier and recommended the issue be resolved by those means. The Disability Carrier is refusing payment due to non approval of the medical services. They also claim the documents provided by the Service Provider are not sufficient. So, the Service Provider is demanding payment from the estate.
The only doc's I have is a cancelled check for $5000 paid to this Provider in 2003 and a bill for $24,000. We have received a demand for $32,000 from 1993 to the date of death. The provider served her emotional needs and was close to the decedent. We notified the Service Provider of her condition and the Provider visited. I find it appaling that the Service Provider would actually charge to visit on the decedents death bed. There was no formal request for service at that time. I don't believe a service was provided for 11 years with only one payment.

What actual proof does a Service Provider Need to get paid?