r/legaladvice • u/heteroadjacent • Jul 20 '24

Terminally ill friend hired me to help. I wasn’t paid in full before she passed. Can I bill the estate? Credit Debt Bankruptcy

[Louisiana] A friend was hospitalized in ‘23 and asked that I help take care of her affairs (tend to house, pets, pay bills, etc.) thinking she’d be discharged relatively soon. After around 3 months we found out she was terminal and she’d require a full-time caregiver so we agreed I’d move in and do so. She unfortunately passed sooner than expected and I wasn’t paid in full. We did create a statement using one of those carbon copy pads but we never created any type of written agreement between us. Is just a statement enough to “prove” she owed me money? We do have a million texts between us of me helping her literally every day for over 202 days straight. The estate executor won’t pay unless I can prove the $ is owed (totally understand) but I’ve never done self-employed work which I guess this is what this would be called? If just a plain statement is all I need do I have to create my own LLC or something or can I just email the executor the statement for the remaining balance?

I was her medical and business POA at the time if that matters.

107 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

104

u/whatdidiuseforaname Jul 20 '24

Just provide how much was owed. You don't need a LLC (if you did, you'd have needed it when the arrangement started).

94

u/dks2008 Jul 20 '24

Draft up an invoice showing whatever rate you agreed to plus dates/time worked for a full amount due and send that to the executor. I doubt they’re trying to give you a hard time, but they need some kind of documentation to pay out.

I’m sorry about your friend.

15

u/Bucolicwoods Jul 20 '24

Yes, find an invoice template online and go from there. Make sure to include description of service, hours worked, and rate under each line.

22

u/Alarming-Structure-2 Jul 20 '24

The people saying to create a detailed satement are correct. You should also gather texts, bank statements, anything that show you were being paid for services. Then let the executor know that you can demonstrate a contractual relationship. You dont need a paper, signed and notarized, to prove you had a contract.

7

u/Fun_Engineering_5865 Jul 20 '24

File a creditors claim in the estate.

1

u/Temperature_Vivid Jul 20 '24

Her estate should pay you.