estate issues

If the estate was handled properly, there should have been an order limiting creditors obtained and published;  this is one of the things that an experienced probate attorney would do as a matter of routine, in a case like this, and that is all too easily overlooked by a do-it-yourself administration.  If it was done properly, it can be documented, and the bill collectors are then out of luck.  Otherwise, it is indeed possible for the heirs to get hit with the liability;  in New Jersey, standard practice is to require the heirs to sign what's called a refunding bond, promising to pay their share of any later money due from the estate if necessary, to get the distribution from the estate.

The order limiting creditors does have a waiting period involved, so that can be part of the reason, with an estate complicated with terminal-illness medical bills and expenses, for an estate to take this long to settle.