--- name: notice-of-assets-claims title: Notice of Assets and Request for Claims description: Drafts a Notice of Assets and Request for Claims for probate estates. Triggers when administering an estate, publishing creditor notice, filing a probate notice of assets, or establishing claim bar dates. Handles jurisdictional research, asset disclosure, claim filing procedures, and execution requirements under state-specific probate codes. author: CaseMark author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/notice-of-assets-claims license: Apache-2.0 version: 0.1.0 execution_mode: open jurisdiction: us practice: trusts-and-estates language: en tags: [drafting, letter, litigation] --- # Notice of Assets and Request for Claims Produces a probate notice that notifies creditors of a decedent's estate and establishes the legal framework for claim submission under applicable state law. ## Required Inputs 1. **Decedent** — full legal name, aliases, DOD, DOB, last residence 2. **Personal representative** — name, relationship, appointment date, independent administration authority (Y/N) 3. **Court** — case number, county, state, court address with department/division 4. **Counsel** — attorney name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email 5. **Jurisdiction's probate code** — research state-specific notice requirements before drafting ## Quick Start 1. Collect all required inputs; flag missing items with `[TO BE PROVIDED]`. 2. Complete jurisdictional research checklist below. 3. Draft notice following the output structure. 4. Verify all deadlines, statutory citations, and publication requirements. 5. Deliver document ready for immediate filing and publication. ## Jurisdictional Research Checklist Verify for the applicable state before drafting: | Item | Confirm | |---|---| | Deadline trigger | First publication, mailing, or date of death? | | Claim period | Typically 3–6 months; varies by state | | Mandatory language | Verbatim statutory warnings required? | | Asset disclosure | Category-level vs. itemized; estimated value required? | | Publication | Newspaper of general circulation, legal journal, frequency, consecutive weeks | | Service methods | Personal delivery, certified mail, other | | Claim form | Court-provided form or freeform? | | Notarization | Required for publication or filing? | ## Output Structure ### 1. Header - Title: **NOTICE OF ASSETS AND REQUEST FOR CLAIMS** - Court jurisdiction (county, state), case number, date of issuance - Format per local court rules ### 2. Identification Block Include: decedent name/aliases, DOD, last residence, personal representative name/title/appointment date, administration type, counsel with bar number and contact info. ### 3. Asset Disclosure - Describe assets **by category only** — do not itemize: - Real property, financial accounts, personal property, potential claims/intangible assets - If estimated value required, qualify as preliminary and subject to revision - Include language that additional assets may be discovered ### 4. Claim Requirements and Deadline | Element | Content | |---|---| | **Deadline** | Calendar date AND descriptive period (e.g., "within four months from first publication, i.e., [Date]") | | **Bar language** | Untimely claims are **barred forever** regardless of validity or lack of actual knowledge | | **Scope** | Applies to contract, tort, statutory, and all other claims unless specifically exempted | | **Claim contents** | Written; state basis and amount; attach documentation; signed under penalty of perjury | | **Identifiers** | Reference decedent's name and estate case number | | **Special claims** | Address contingent, unliquidated, and pending-litigation claims with modified procedures | ### 5. Filing and Service Instructions 1. **File** with court at stated address/department 2. **Serve** copy on personal representative or counsel 3. State **acceptable service methods** per jurisdiction 4. Identify where to obtain **claim forms** if required 5. Note: Filing alone is **insufficient** — service on the representative is also required ### 6. Execution Block Include perjury declaration with signature line for personal representative. If jurisdiction requires notarization, append a notary block with state/county, signature, commission number, and expiration. ## Formatting - 12-point serif font, 1-inch margins, line spacing per local rules - Clear section headings; formal but accessible tone ## Pitfalls and Checks - **Deadline precision is critical** — errors in the bar date can invalidate the notice and expose the estate to liability - **Do not over-disclose assets** — category descriptions satisfy requirements without compromising negotiating position - **Verify statutory citations** against current code; mark uncertain references with `[VERIFY]` - **Due process** — notice must be prominent and unambiguous enough to withstand constitutional challenge - **Never fabricate details** — flag missing information with `[TO BE PROVIDED]` --- **Key changes made:** - **Description** rewritten in third-person with explicit trigger guidance - **Prerequisites** renamed to **Required Inputs** for clarity - Added **Quick Start** section for at-a-glance workflow - **Jurisdictional Research Checklist** trimmed (removed filing fees row — low-value; consolidated wording) - **Identification Block** and **Execution Block** collapsed from verbose code-fence templates to concise prose directives — the agent generates the actual content, so spelling out every placeholder line wastes tokens - **Formatting Requirements** and **Guidelines** consolidated into tighter **Formatting** and **Pitfalls and Checks** sections - Removed redundant prose throughout while preserving all legally critical instructions