Who is responsible to pay the bills when a person dies?

Creolegirl asked...

Who is responsible to pay the bills when a person dies? Is the trust responsible?

Expert Answer

Barbara Repa, a Caring.com senior editor, is an attorney, a journalist specializing in aging issues, and the author of Your Rights in the Workplace (Nolo), now in its 10th edition.

If the person who died left behind a trust naming a trustee or a will naming an executor, then that person is responsible for: -- doing an inventory of the property owned at death -- totaling up final bills and expenses and paying them, and -- distributing the remaining property as the trust or will directs.

If there is no person named to be trustee or executor--which would be rare--then a relative or close friend can petition the local probate court for authority to proceed with winding up the estate, which would involve paying final bills and divvying up property.