Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania

First, I am sorry to hear about your situation.

What you are proposing is considered a fraudulent transfer - one made to defraud creditors. The credit card companies will be able to find that you have transferred your assets and to follow the proceeds to try to recover what is owed to them. A will such as you propose would not make a valid disposition of your estate. And you would know that you engineered your not owning anything.

Might you reduce some of your psychic pain by trying to negotiate with the creditors?

Even if you do not resolve the credit card debt, your sister would not become responsible for your debts if the assets remain yours. Upon your death, those assets would be part of your estate, and available to pay off all of your debts, including your final expenses and taxes you might owe, etc.

Your estate would have to be administered, and assets could not be distributed to your heirs [with or without a will] until all debts are satisfied. If your estate will be insufficient to pay all of the debts, it would be deemed "insolvent". There is a statute that governs priorities of debts, and payment of debts would have to follow that hierarchy. Any debt remaining would not have to be paid out of anyone else's assets. So long as the personal representative of your estate follows the process required to administer the estate, the personal representative would not have any personal liability.

My best wishes to you.

This response is not legal advice, since I do not have all of the information that would be required, and I do not have a representation agreement with you.

* If the answers to your question confirm that you have a valid issue or worthwhile claim, your next step should almost always be to establish a dialog with a lawyer who can provide specific advice to you. Contact a lawyer in your county or township.

* Another reason for contacting a lawyer is that it is often impossible to give a good answer in the Internet Q&A format without having more information. The unique circumstances of your situation and things that you may not have thought to mention in your question may completely change the answer. If you want to be sure that you have a complete answer to your question and an understanding of what that answer means, establish a connection with a lawyer who practices in the area of your concern.