What happens if you die in debt?

OK, so you're dead but you still owed people 1 billion dollars.  Do the collection agencies start coming after your wife and kids for the money?

My understanding is that here in America, debt collectors cannot go after surviving family members for the debts of of deceased relatives.  The creditors can go after the estate of the dearly departed, and in the cases of joint assets, the other person may have to fork over the joint asset to pay off creditors, but that is about all that they can do.