I get a lot of questions about this lately, not only from spouses but from children and other heirs as well.  Unfortunately, it's not an easy question to answer because the laws vary from state to state, and because many states do not have clear-cut laws governing these questions.

We've had it on our mind to write an exhaustive article on this subject for some time.  We still intend to write it because it's an important issue for many people.  However, in the meantime, we've come across a Question and Answer article published by Bills.com/blog that provides a good explanation of the rules governing a spouse's (or other heirs') liability for a deceased spouse's debts.  Read it yourself and see if it answers your questions.  Here's the link to the article:  http://www.bills.com/blog/am-i-liable-for-my-deceased-spouses-debts/