If my father died, can my sister an I use his small savings to pay for a cremation and possibly a small funeral?

If my father died, can my sister an I use his small savings to pay for a cremation and possibly a small funeral?

And maybe to help defray our mounting travel costs since we live out of state? He was a veteran, had no life insurance or Will but did have a very small savings account (about 1-2K) and a car worth 2k (no other assets). We don’t know about creditors yet. Do we need to wait for some time period and possibly give any creditors first dibs? My sister and I have financially struggling families of our own, and now are struggling with the enormity of how to proceed while all the while trying to grieve his loss.

Asked on March 8, 2014 under Estate Planning, Wisconsin

Answers:

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