Thanks to everyone for the input, especially to Joel for showing me a lot of the questions I should be asking that I wouldn't have otherwise thought to ask.

P.S. Let's all indulge in a moment of thought: where are our wills? Are they current? .....................Time's up. Thank you.

Not just that, but this whole experience has prompted my wife and I to get our rears in gear on buying life insurance. Our first baby was born a week to the day before my dad died (I now intimately know what the term "emotional roller coaster" means), and I'd hate to see them go through what my mom is going through. Even if we get her totally off the hook for the CC debts, she's still looking at a $17000 bill for the funeral and all the associated costs.