Generally speaking, creditors cannot come after the family members of a deceased spouse or parent. However, if you have joint accounts or co-signed on something, you could be held responsible. This has unfortunate effects on your personal credit score; sometimes though, creditors are willing to work with you depending on your individual situation.

If, however, the deceased is your spouse and you live in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), debts acquired during the marriage are considered community property and you are likely responsible for them.

If you feel like you’re being held accountable to pay money for a debt that you’re not responsible for, you should get in touch with a consumer law attorney. Or, if you’re struggling to repay legitimate debt of a deceased relative, it may be a good idea to consult a debt consolidation company.