Chapter 2. Notice To Creditors of California Probate Code >> Division 7. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 2.

(a) Subject to Section 9054, the personal representative shall give notice of administration of the estate to the known or reasonably ascertainable creditors of the decedent. The notice shall be given as provided in Section 1215. For the purpose of this subdivision, a personal representative has knowledge of a creditor of the decedent if the personal representative is aware that the creditor has demanded payment from the decedent or the estate.
  (b) The giving of notice under this chapter is in addition to the publication of the notice under Section 8120.

The notice shall be given within the later of:
  (a) Four months after the date letters are first issued.
  (b) Thirty days after the personal representative first has knowledge of the creditor.

The notice shall be in substantially the following form:

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATE OF _______, DECEDENT Notice to creditors: Administration of the estate of _________ (deceased) has been commenced by _________ (personal representative) in Estate No. _________ in the Superior Court of California, County of _________. You must file your claim with the court and mail or deliver a copy to the personal representative within the last to occur of four months after _________ (the date letters were first issued to a general personal representative, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 58 of the California Probate Code), or 60 days after the date this notice was mailed to you or, in the case of personal delivery, 60 days after the date this notice was delivered to you,, or you must petition to file a late claim as provided in Section 9103 of the California Probate Code. Failure to file a claim with the court and serve a copy of the claim on the personal representative will, in most instances, invalidate your claim. A claim form may be obtained from the court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested. _____________________ ____________________________ (Date of mailing
  (Name and address of this notice) personal representative or attorney)

(a) If the personal representative believes that notice to a particular creditor is or may be required by this chapter and gives notice based on that belief, the personal representative is not liable to any person for giving the notice, whether or not required by this chapter.
  (b) If the personal representative fails to give notice required by this chapter, the personal representative is not liable to any person for the failure, unless a creditor establishes all of the following:
  (1) The failure was in bad faith.
  (2) The creditor had no actual knowledge of the administration of the estate before expiration of the time for filing a claim, and payment would have been made on the creditor's claim in the course of administration if the claim had been properly filed.
  (3) Within 16 months after letters were first issued to a general personal representative, the creditor did both of the following:
  (A) Filed a petition requesting that the court in which the estate was administered make an order determining the liability of the personal representative under this subdivision.
  (B) At least 30 days before the hearing on the petition, caused notice of the hearing and a copy of the petition to be served on the personal representative in the manner provided in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 413.10) of Title 5 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
  (c) Nothing in this section affects the liability of the estate, if any, for the claim of a creditor, and the personal representative is not liable for the claim to the extent it is paid out of the estate or could be paid out of the estate pursuant to Section 9103.
  (d) A personal representative has a duty to make reasonably diligent efforts to identify reasonably ascertainable creditors of the decedent.

Notwithstanding Section 9050, the personal representative need not give notice to a creditor even though the personal representative has knowledge of the creditor if any of the following conditions is satisfied:
  (a) The creditor has filed a claim as provided in this part.
  (b) The creditor has demanded payment and the personal representative elects to treat the demand as a claim under Section 9154.