RIAA Will Allow Dead Defendant's Children 60 Days To Grieve... > Many debts are like this

Many debts are like this

No. Your family is NOT responsible for your debts when you die; your estate carries that burden. Your estate consists of all of your possessions as of the day you die, and is divvied up in accordance with your will (assuming one exists). If a creditor so chooses, they may sue your estate to recover monies owed to them, but this is neither automatic or guaranteed, since the contract must contain provisions giving them that right.

What the RIAA said in this filing is that they believe the deceased implicated others in his family in the purported Copyright Act violations, and it intends to depose them in relation to this case. If the depositions reveal such links to the alleged conduct, the RIAA will amend the original lawsuit to include the additional parties, and change the original defendant to that of the deceased's estate.
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Opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer's. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

reply to Dagda1175
In many states your spouse is obligated to the debt since by marriage you share everything (common property). This is not true of all states though.

If one dies, the other is responsible for all debts and taxes. Even before death, if one decides to no longer pay a debt, than the other is just as responsible when the company comes calling to collect.

reply to Dagda1175
the law should be made that if the person being sued dies the suit is terminated.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

reply to Skippy25

Depends on the state, but I believe most states regardless of whether or not both signed for it you are responsible for your spouses debt.

I am no lawyer so you would have to research your own state, but in Missouri debt is debt of the family not the individual.