Build the death-investigation file register and deadline list
Key facts
- Human involvement
- GreenLawyer review
- How AI is used
- From the office's letters and the state statute the lawyer names, list the investigating office, the date the death was reported, and any statutory notice period already identified. Add no deadline that is not in those papers.
- What the lawyer must review
- CDC's Public Health Law Program states that each state sets its own standards for which deaths are investigated and whether the work is done by a coroner, a medical examiner, or both, and that in most states coroners need not be physicians. The register follows the state statute, not a national coroners' court. In Minnesota, section 390.11 tells the coroner or medical examiner to decide the extent of the investigation, including whether an autopsy will be performed, and section 390.11, subdivision 2b, sets a 24-hour good-faith notice to the representative before an intended autopsy. Use that period only if Minnesota is the state. Opinion 512: the file contains medical and family information. Model Rule 1.6.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Potential support includes organising research leads and identifying points for review. Confirm the tool’s capability and permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, verify the evidence, resolve exceptions and approve the final output for its intended use. |
Checklist
- Calculate operative dates independently from the current rule and actual triggering event. Check exceptions and record the verified deadline.
- Obtain and inspect the relevant current official register or search result. Confirm identities, interests and the date and scope of the search.
- Verify the applicable jurisdiction and the version of each relevant law, rule or instrument in force at the material time.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.