cognovit-promissory-note

name	cognovit-promissory-note
title	Cognovit Promissory Note
description	Drafts a U.S. cognovit promissory note with confession of judgment clause, enforceability gate, and execution formalities. Use when preparing a commercial loan note with cognovit language, confession of judgment, warrant of attorney, or waiver of notice/hearing rights. Triggers: cognovit, confession of judgment, warrant of attorney, waiver of defenses.
author	CaseMark
author_url	https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/cognovit-promissory-note
license	Apache-2.0
version	0.1.0
execution_mode	open
jurisdiction	us
practice	finance
language	en

Cognovit Promissory Note

Draft an enforceable cognovit promissory note compliant with governing-state law. A cognovit clause lets a borrower authorize entry of judgment without prior notice or hearing — most states prohibit or heavily restrict this, so enforceability must be confirmed before drafting.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

• Governing law / forum — state and venue for enforcement
• Parties — legal names, entity types, formation states, addresses, authorized signers
• Loan terms — principal, rate, term, payment schedule, fees, prepayment
• Transaction type — commercial vs consumer classification; any statutory exemptions
• Authority docs — resolutions, incumbency certificates, consents (if entity borrower)
• Collateral / guaranties — summary of related security documents, if any

Quick Start

1. Run the Enforceability Gate (below) — if cognovit is prohibited, stop and output a standard note + guaranty + security agreement instead.
2. Draft the note using the Document Sections outline.
3. Walk the Checks list before finalizing.

Enforceability Gate (Do First)

Check	Action	Output
Cognovit permitted?	Research governing-state statutes + recent case law	Allow / deny with citations or [VERIFY]
Consumer restriction?	Confirm borrower classification	If consumer or mixed-use, treat as prohibited unless clear statutory exception
Required warnings / format?	Identify mandatory warning text, font size, capitalization, separate acknowledgment	Insert exact statutory warning or [VERIFY]
Execution formalities?	Check witness / notary / affidavit / attorney requirements	Add required signature formalities

If prohibited or materially restricted: output alternative structure (standard note + guaranty + security agreement) and stop.

Document Sections

1. Preamble and Parties

• Date, principal (numeric and words)
• Lender and Borrower: legal name, entity type, formation state, address, signatory title