Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd. is a Wilmington, Delaware company that works with creditors on accounts of people who have died, and also on some personal accounts. If you hear from it, it is usually about a deceased relative's credit card or loan.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd.; Phillips & Cohen
- Headquarters
- Wilmington, DE
- Collects
- accounts of deceased consumers (estate accounts), personal consumer accounts
- Phone numbers it lists
- (866) 504-4754
- Website
- phillips-cohen.com
142 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd. from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Phillips & Cohen Associates?
Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd. describes itself as a company that supports creditors in "deceased account resolution." Its U.S. office is at 1002 Justison Street in Wilmington, Delaware, and it lists other locations in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The website shows NMLS #934578 and Nevada collection licenses CM11461 and 1160939, and lists memberships in ACA International and the Receivables Management Association International.
The company runs two online portals: Estate-Serve, for authorized estate representatives (using a reference number and PIN from its letters), and Account-Serve, for personal accounts (using the last four digits of the creditor account number). Its toll-free number is (866) 504-4754. We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Phillips & Cohen Associates.
Why Phillips & Cohen Associates May Be Contacting You
The most common reason is that someone close to you has died and a creditor, usually a credit-card issuer or lender, has asked Phillips & Cohen to handle the account. It may write to the estate, to the executor or administrator, or to a family member to find out who is handling the estate. The company says it also handles some personal accounts, so a letter could concern your own account instead; the letter should make clear which kind it is.
How to Check a Debt Phillips & Cohen Associates Says You Owe
With estate accounts, the first question is who owes the money, not how much.
- As a general rule, a deceased person's debts are paid, if at all, from the estate. A relative is usually not personally responsible unless he or she co-signed, was a joint account holder (not just an authorized user), or is liable under a specific state law. Texas is a community-property state, which can affect a surviving spouse, so get advice if you're unsure.
- Ask for the validation information (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34): the creditor, the account, the balance on the date of death or itemization date, and later interest or fees.
- If you're the executor or administrator, check whether a creditor claim was properly presented in the probate case and whether the estate has assets to pay it. Dispute inaccurate balances in writing within the validation period.
- Don't pay from your own funds just to "settle things" without confirming you're liable.
- Time limits still apply. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), probate has its own claim rules, and debt buyers can't sue on time-barred consumer debt in Texas (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states differ.
What Phillips & Cohen Associates Can and Can't Do
Collecting accounts owed to creditors makes Phillips & Cohen a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6) for consumer debts. Rules that matter most for families:
- Regulation F lets a collector talk about a deceased person's debt with the executor, administrator or other person with authority to pay debts from the estate (12 C.F.R. § 1006.2(e), § 1006.6(a)(4)). It may contact other relatives only to find that person.
- It must not imply that you are personally responsible for a relative's debt if you aren't (15 U.S.C. § 1692e).
- It should not pressure a grieving family member with false urgency or threats.
- Calls must be at reasonable hours, and Regulation F presumes harassment after more than seven calls in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
If a collector suggested you had to pay a relative's debt that you don't owe, our FDCPA attorneys would like to hear about it. For lawsuits involving estates or old accounts, see our debt lawsuit questions.
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Phillips & Cohen Associates or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Phillips & Cohen Associates: Home
- Phillips & Cohen Associates: About us
- CFPB enforcement actions search
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Phillips & Cohen Associates has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.