When your spouse dies in Illinois, you may be responsible for their debts if they are family expenses. 

This is based on a law called the Illinois Family Expense Act. This says that family expenses are the responsibility of both spouses.  

Family expenses could include: 

• medical bills for necessary procedures,
• funeral bills,
• clothing and jewelry,
• rent for family home,
• utility bills
• childcare, and
• children's educational expenses.

Family expenses usually do not include loans or credit cards. But you could be responsible for loans or credit cards if you co-signed them.  

Surviving spouses are typically not liable for elective medical procedures, like cosmetic surgery or cosmetic dental work.