Valid claim

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Valid claim" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (March 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The examples and perspectives in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A valid or colorable claim in law is a claim that is strong enough to have a reasonable chance of being determined both valid based upon its being sufficiently supported by law and provable fact to be plausibly proved in court.

In United States law

The term "valid claim" is used in a number of different contexts in federal law. Under United States bankruptcy law, a creditor must have a valid claim in order to attend a creditors' meeting and collect all or part of a debt.^{[citation needed]} Under United States patent law, a valid claim is a claim of an issued and unexpired, legally enforceable patent.

"Valid claim" is also the terminology used to describe beneficial interest in antiquities under the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Liens

A lien must be based on a valid claim.^{[citation needed]} Under Texas law, a mechanic's lien must have a valid basis. Under New York law, a lis pendens, or notice of pendency of a claim against real property, must be valid, such as a pending divorce lawsuit.^{[citation needed]} Under the laws of most US states, a claim against an estate must be proven or validated.

References

See also

• Federal Tort Claims Act
• Replevin

This legal term article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

• v
• t
• e