When someone dies, the money and property they leave behind (their estate) gets used to pay off debts and other claims. This law sets the order in which those claims get paid. Costs and administration expenses get paid first, then things like funeral bills, money owed to the federal government, money owed to the state, old court judgments, and finally any other leftover claims.
473.397. of and . — All claims and statutory allowances against the of a shall be divided into the following classes:
(1) ;
(2) ;
(3) , family and ;
(4) Funeral expenses;
(5) Debts and taxes due the United States of America;
(6) Debts for owed to the state of Missouri under section 473.398;
(7) Expenses of the last sickness, wages of servants, claims for medicine and medical attendance during the last sickness, and the reasonable cost of a tombstone;
(8) Debts and taxes due the state of Missouri, any county, or any of the state of Missouri;
(9) Judgments rendered against the decedent in his lifetime and judgments rendered upon levied upon property of decedent during his lifetime;
(10) All other claims not by section 473.360.
(RSMo 1939 § 181, A.L. 1955 p. 385 § 150, A.L. 1965 p. 635, A.L. 1969 S.B. 84, A.L. 1980 S.B. 637, A.L. 2018 S.B. 806)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 182; 1919 § 181; 1909 § 190
State claims -- on failure to pay, 430.330 to 430.350
Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.
Red section numbers link to that law.
Related Missouri laws
Recovery of public assistance funds from recipient's estate, when authorized
RSMo 473.398
Definitions
RSMo 473.399
Collection of contingent claims from distributees
RSMo 473.393
Allowance of claims
RSMo 473.403
Contingent claims
RSMo 473.390
Secured claims
RSMo 473.387
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.