<prompt> Human: My mother recently died and she had some American Express debt that is less than 3,000. American Express debt collectors DCM Management called me asking me to pay it. Does your debt not go away once you pass away?Am I legally obligated to pay it? If I am the executor of the estate, am I then legally obliged to pay it? The credit card debt is not an exorbitant amount, but Im asking for the sake of the principle of it. I know credit card companies are real assholes and I dont want to give them one more cent than I legally have to. Can someone please give me a clear answer on this, as it seems like I cant find a definite answer on it. Thanks a lot. Assistant: The estate is obligated to pay it. If the estate runs out of money and cannot pay creditors, then the debt is forgiven. Note that the estate MUST pay all creditors BEFORE any inheritances are given, so if there is enough money to pay the bill, then you must pay it before taking any money for heirs.Human: What do you mean by estate, though. Would my lawyer take care of that?  <response>: The estate is all the property of the deceased person, and is managed by the executor. 