Settlement Notices

How to read a class action settlement notice

Updated · Sources

A class action notice usually comes in two layers: a short form (a postcard, an email or a newspaper notice) that points to a long form on the settlement website, where the details are. Read the long form's numbered questions, not just the summary, and match each part to what the sample below explains.

Sample only. Example Co., this court and this case are invented.

The short form: the postcard or email

Many people first see a short summary: a postcard, an email, or a newspaper or web notice. It says it is only a summary and points to the long form and the settlement website, often with a QR code.

  1. The court-authorized line

    LEGAL NOTICE

    A federal court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

    What it is
    The line saying that a court ordered the notice to be sent.
    What the rules say
    Under Rule 23(e)(1)(B), the court directs notice of a proposed settlement to all class members who would be bound by it. These two sentences are the model wording in the Federal Judicial Center's plain-language guide for judges, and many real notices use them.
    What to check on yours
    Anyone can copy this line. Confirm the court and the case number it names in the court record, which you look up yourself.

  2. The headline

    If you bought an Example Co. countertop water filter between January 1, 20XX, and June 30, 20XX, you could get a payment from a class action settlement.

    What it is
    One sentence saying who the notice is for.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B) asks for plain, easily understood language. No rule sets the wording of the headline.
    What to check on yours
    Whether you match it at all: the product or service, the dates and the place. The full class definition is in the long form.

  3. Notice ID and PIN

    Notice ID: EXC-0000000

    PIN: XXXX

    What it is
    Identifiers that let the administrator match a claim to the person the notice was sent to. Real notices call them a Notice ID, a Claim ID or a PIN; claim forms ask for them, sometimes as optional.
    What the rules say
    No rule requires them. They come from the administrator, under the settlement and the court's orders.
    What to check on yours
    Type them only on the official settlement website, reached by an address you typed or found in the court record. Having a code doesn't prove a notice is real.

  4. Your options, with deadlines

    Submit a claim: online or postmarked by [claim deadline, 20XX].

    Exclude yourself: postmarked by [exclusion deadline, 20XX].

    Object: received by [objection deadline, 20XX].

    Do nothing: no payment, and you give up your rights.

    What it is
    The short list of what you can do, each with its own deadline.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(v): the notice must say that the court will exclude any member who asks to be excluded.
    What to check on yours
    Each option has its own date and its own kind of deadline: postmarked, received, filed or online. In many notices the exclusion and objection deadlines come before the claim deadline, but not in all of them.

  5. Website, phone and mailing address

    www.ExampleCoSettlement.example

    1-800-555-0100

    Example Co. Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 0000, Anytown, XX 00000

    What it is
    Where the official information lives: the settlement website, a toll-free number and the administrator's mailing address.
    What the rules say
    The Federal Judicial Center's checklist for judges says it is reasonable to post the key documents on a neutral website dedicated to the case, and counts a toll-free number among the reasonable steps to help class members.
    What to check on yours
    That the website is the one named in the court record or on the administrator's own case list. An address with one letter changed, or the right name inside a different domain, is a warning sign.

The long form: on the settlement website

The long-form notice carries the details: numbered questions and answers, the exact steps for each option, the addresses and the legal terms. Where the two seem to differ, the long form and the settlement agreement give the details.

  1. The caption

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SAMPLE DISTRICT OF EXAMPLE

    Jordan Sample, on behalf of a class, v. Example Co.

    Case No. 0:00-cv-00000

    What it is
    The court, the names of the parties and the case number.
    What the rules say
    No rule sets its wording. It is how the case is found in the court record.
    What to check on yours
    Search the case name or number yourself in the court record: PACER or CourtListener for federal cases, the court's own site for state cases.

  2. What the lawsuit is about

    1. What is this lawsuit about?

    The plaintiff says Example Co.'s filters didn't remove what the packaging promised. Example Co. denies that it did anything wrong. The court has not decided who is right.

    What it is
    The case in plain words, and the company's answer to it.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(i) and (iii): the notice must state the nature of the action and the class claims, issues or defenses.
    What to check on yours
    Whether the description matches what you bought or used. At this stage the court can only approve or reject the settlement; it does not rewrite it.

  3. Who is included

    2. Who is included?

    Everyone in the United States who bought an Example Co. countertop water filter between January 1, 20XX, and June 30, 20XX. Not included: Example Co.'s officers and employees, and the judge and court staff.

    What it is
    The class definition: the exact description of who is a class member.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(ii): the notice must state the definition of the class certified.
    What to check on yours
    Every part of the definition: what was bought or used, where and when. If you can't tell, the contacts the notice gives (the administrator and class counsel) are where to ask.

  4. What the settlement provides

    3. What does the settlement provide?

    Example Co. will pay $XX into a settlement fund. After notice costs, attorneys' fees and service awards are paid, the rest is divided among valid claims: up to $XX per filter with proof of purchase, or $XX without it.

    What it is
    What a claimant can receive and how it is worked out.
    What the rules say
    It comes from the settlement agreement, which the court reviews when it decides whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate (Rule 23(e)(2)).
    What to check on yours
    Whether amounts are fixed or pro rata (shared out, so each payment can shrink when more people claim), and whether proof of purchase is needed.

  5. How to get a payment

    4. How do I get a payment?

    Submit a claim form online at www.ExampleCoSettlement.example by [claim deadline, 20XX], or mail it postmarked by that date.

    What it is
    How to claim and by when, with the kind of deadline.
    What the rules say
    The method and the date come from the settlement and the court's orders. The Federal Judicial Center's checklist asks judges to allow no unnecessary hurdles to submitting a claim.
    What to check on yours
    Whether the deadline is "postmarked by", "received by" or "online by". A claim form that asks you to pay a fee is a strong warning sign.

  6. How to exclude yourself

    5. How do I get out of the settlement?

    Mail a letter saying you want to be excluded from Sample v. Example Co. Include your name, address and signature. It must be postmarked by [exclusion deadline, 20XX].

    What it is
    How to opt out, and by when.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(v) and (vi): the court will exclude any member who asks, and the notice must state the time and manner for asking.
    What to check on yours
    The exact method (a signed letter, sometimes an online form) and the deadline. Someone who opts out gets no payment from this settlement.

  7. How to object

    6. How do I tell the court I don't like the settlement?

    Send a written objection with the case name, your reasons and your signature to the court and to the lawyers, received by [objection deadline, 20XX].

    What it is
    How a class member tells the judge why the settlement should not be approved. An objector stays in the class.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(e)(5)(A): any class member may object; the objection must say whom it applies to and state its grounds with specificity.
    What to check on yours
    Where it goes (the court, the administrator, the lawyers, or more than one), what it must contain and the deadline. Notices differ on all three.

  8. The lawyers

    7. Do I have a lawyer in this case?

    The court appointed Sample Law Group to represent the class (class counsel). You won't be charged for them. You may hire your own lawyer at your own expense.

    What it is
    Who class counsel are, and your right to your own lawyer.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(iv): the notice must say that a class member may enter an appearance through an attorney.
    What to check on yours
    Class counsel's name and phone number. They represent the class; questions about your rights in this case can go to them.

  9. The final approval hearing

    8. When will the court decide?

    The court will hold a final approval hearing on [hearing date, 20XX] in Courtroom 0. The date may change; any change is posted on the settlement website.

    What it is
    The hearing where the judge decides whether to approve the settlement.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(e)(2): the court may approve a settlement that binds class members only after a hearing and on finding it fair, reasonable and adequate.
    What to check on yours
    The current date on the official website. Payments come only after approval and after any appeals are resolved.

  10. If you do nothing

    9. What happens if I do nothing?

    You will get no payment, and you will be bound by the court's judgment. You won't be able to sue Example Co. about the claims in this case.

    What it is
    The result of not acting.
    What the rules say
    Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(vii): the notice must state the binding effect of a class judgment on members under Rule 23(c)(3).
    What to check on yours
    Whether this settlement pays some people automatically. If it does, this section says so.

  11. What you give up: the release

    10. What am I giving up by staying in?

    Unless you exclude yourself, you release Example Co. from the claims described in Section 00 of the Settlement Agreement.

    What it is
    The release: the claims every class member who stays in gives up.
    What the rules say
    Part of the binding effect in Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(vii). Its exact scope is set by the settlement agreement.
    What to check on yours
    The release section of the settlement agreement: it says exactly which claims are given up.

  12. Getting more information

    11. How do I get more information?

    Read the Settlement Agreement at www.ExampleCoSettlement.example, call 1-800-555-0100, or write to the Settlement Administrator. Please do not contact the court about this notice.

    What it is
    Where the full documents are, and who answers questions.
    What the rules say
    The Federal Judicial Center's checklist says it is reasonable to post the settlement agreement and claim form on a neutral website dedicated to the case.
    What to check on yours
    That the documents on the website match those filed in the court record. "Do not contact the court" is wording at least one federal court suggests for notices: the clerk keeps the records, and questions about claims go to the administrator.

Real notices put these parts in different orders and words. For the usual money-claim class action in federal court (a Rule 23(b)(3) class), Rule 23(c)(2)(B) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure lists seven things the notice must state in plain language; state courts have their own rules.

Your own notice and the court's orders control. To confirm that a notice belongs to a real case, find the case name and number in the court record yourself, then compare the official website and phone number with the ones the court-approved notice gives.

A sheet of paper with three sections of text lines, each marked by a colored bracket and a round tag, with a magnifying glass on one corner and a pencil beside it.

How to read the sample

The sample is ours and plainly invented: Example Co., its court and its case do not exist, and its dates and amounts are blanks. Each numbered part has three notes. "What it is" names the part. "What the rules say" gives the rule or guidance behind it, or says that no rule sets it. "What to check on yours" is the question to ask of your own notice. Real notices put the same parts in a different order and in their own words, so look for the content, not the layout.

The short form and the long form

Both forms are approved by the court, and they do different jobs.

The Federal Judicial Center's checklist for judges makes two points about summaries. First, “even summary notices can include all elements required by Rule 23(c)(2)(B)” Federal Judicial Centerchecked October 1, 2026. Second, a summary that only points elsewhere can leave most class members, who read only the summary, unaware of basic rights. Where the short form and the long form seem to differ, the long form and the settlement agreement give the details. What a real notice must contain under Rule 23 is set out on the page on telling whether a notice is real.

The first page: the court line and the options table

Many long forms open with two sentences taken from the Federal Judicial Center's model: "A federal court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer." (Judges' Class Action Notice and Claims Process Checklist and Plain Language Guide (2010), PDF) The Kroger prescription settlement notice carries them word for word. Anyone can copy that line, so it shows the format, not the source; the case number next to it is what you can check.

Under it, in the model's format, comes a table of your options with a deadline beside each, introduced by a line such as: “These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained in this notice.” (Judges' Class Action Notice and Claims Process Checklist and Plain Language Guide (2010), PDF) What each option keeps and gives up is on the options page; how to read the kinds of deadline in the table is on the deadlines page.

The Notice ID and other identifiers

Real notices carry an identifier that lets the administrator match a claim to the person the notice was sent to. Names vary, and so does whether the claim form requires it:

None of the official documents read for this page calls its identifier a "confirmation code," and none states a standard length or format, so the sample uses a Notice ID and a PIN. Having an identifier doesn't show who sent the notice. The place to enter it is the official settlement website, reached by an address you typed yourself or found in the court record.

Worked example: when the table and the questions disagree

The court-approved Skin360 notice (D.N.J.) states its deadlines twice, and not always in the same words.

  • Claim: the first-page table says "Received on or before November 25, 2026", while Question 9 tells a person using a paper form to "Postmark it by November 25, 2026" (Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement).
  • Objection: the table says "Filed and served on or before November 10, 2026", while Question 13 says the objection must reach the court: “The objection must be received by the Court no later than November 10, 2026.” The same question also asks for a mailed copy.

Both wordings are in the same court-approved notice; neither is labeled wrong. The general point: the table is a summary of the questions, and the question that explains a row says how to do the thing it lists. "Received" is the stricter of the two tests. When the two seem to differ, the administrator whose phone number is on the notice can say which applies.

Worked example: a short form that sends you to the long form

The RealPage summary notice (M.D. Tenn.) states that it is only a summary and offers a QR code. The long-form notice spells out each deadline with its kind, its address and a clock time: a claim "submitted online or received by 11:59 p.m. EST on" January 29, 2027 U.S. District Court, M.D. Tenn.checked October 1, 2026; an exclusion "received by the Settlement Administrator at the address below" by September 22, 2026. The kind, the address and the hour are the details to take from the long form before acting. The RealPage settlement page has the case's current status.

Words a notice uses

Class member
A person who fits the class definition in the notice. Being one does not depend on having received the notice.
Class counsel
The lawyers the court appointed to represent the class. The notice names them, and you do not hire them.
Settlement administrator
The company that sends notices, runs the website and processes claims and payments under the court's orders.
Preliminary approval
The court's order that lets notice go out, once it finds it will likely be able to approve the settlement. It is not a finding that the deal is fair.
Final approval hearing (fairness hearing)
The hearing where the judge decides whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate.
Opt out (exclude yourself)
To leave the class by the method and date in the notice. The adjective is "opt-out", as in an opt-out request.
Object
To tell the court, in writing and by the deadline, why the settlement should not be approved, while staying in the class.
Release
The claims every class member who stays in gives up. Its exact scope is in the settlement agreement.
Claims-made
A settlement, or part of one, that pays only people who file a claim. Some settlements pay some people automatically.
Pro rata
Shared in proportion. In the Kroger notice, payments are shared pro rata by the size of each recognized claim U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohiochecked October 1, 2026; the final amount depends on how many valid claims there are.
Cy pres
The Supreme Court described it in Frank v. Gaos as “distributing settlement funds not amenable to individual claims or meaningful pro rata distribution to nonprofit organizations whose work is determined to indirectly benefit class members” U.S. Supreme Courtchecked October 1, 2026. Each settlement agreement says where leftover money goes.
Effective Date
A date defined in each settlement agreement, which says what has to happen first. How it affects payment timing is on the payments page.

What to do next, and who can help for free

  1. Find the long-form notice on the official settlement website, reached by an address you typed or found in the court record, not by a link in a message.
  2. Read the table, then the numbered question that explains each row you care about.
  3. Note the case name, court and case number from the caption, and look them up with the case lookup guide.
  4. For questions about your rights in the case, class counsel named in the notice represent the class; the administrator answers questions about claims. The court clerk keeps the records but is not the place for questions about the settlement. Free legal aid, for people who qualify, is listed on the options page.

This page explains how notices are written. It is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. Rule 23. Class Actions, with Advisory Committee NotesLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
  2. Judges' Class Action Notice and Claims Process Checklist and Plain Language Guide (2010), PDFFederal Judicial Center
  3. If You Paid for One or More Prescription Drugs with Insurance At Kroger, A Class Action Settlement Could Affect You (Long-Form Notice)U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio
  4. Summary Notice of Proposed Class Action SettlementsU.S. District Court, M.D. Tenn.
  5. Notice of Proposed Class Action SettlementU.S. District Court, W.D. Wash.
  6. Notice of Class Action Settlements (Long Form)U.S. District Court, M.D. Tenn.
  7. Claim FormU.S. District Court, N.D. Ga.
  8. Claim FormU.S. District Court, E.D. Mich.
  9. Claim FormU.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio
  10. Notice of Proposed Class Action SettlementU.S. District Court, D.N.J.
  11. Frank v. Gaos, No. 17-961 (March 20, 2019)U.S. Supreme Court

Each source listed here was read on .