notice to creditorsn.
Reviewed by Owen Hathaway, AttorneyUpdated June 9, 2026The formal notice that opens a limited window for creditors to file claims against an estate; claims filed late are generally barred.
Notice to creditors is the formal step in estate administration that alerts potential creditors to file claims within a limited statutory period. Publishing or mailing notice starts the clock; claims not presented in time are generally barred.
This process gives the personal representative certainty about the estate's debts before distributing assets to beneficiaries and protects beneficiaries from belated claims.
Colorado sets non-claim periods under the Colorado Probate Code (commonly one year from death, shortened by published or mailed notice to 4 months) (C.R.S. Title 15, Article 12, Part 8). Wyoming requires published notice announcing a 3 month deadline to file claims (Wyo. Stat. 2-7-201).
Related terms
- probateThe court-supervised process of proving a will, paying a deceased person's debts, and transferring what's left to the heirs or beneficiaries.
- personal representativeThe person appointed to settle a deceased person's estate such as gathering assets, paying debts, and distributing the rest. Older terms are executor (with a will) and administrator (without).