Awarded a Judgment?

Now What?

First,  Register the judgment with the Internet Civil Judgment Registry  for $19.95 so others can find it for free.

    

Second,  Order a $125.00 basic asset report  to see if it is practical to pursue immediate collection.  If there are assets, proceed to the next legal step.  

This step is usually a court-ordered requirement for the Defendant to detail all assets, income and debts.  Depending on the state, it may be called a Debtor's Exam or Interrogatories.

If the Defendant fails to comply, a Contempt of Court may be issued, which means the Defendant can go to jail for not providing the asset information.

Third,  Do not give up.  You must be persistent.  Every year interest is added to your judgment.  If the Defendant has no significant assets one year, it doesn't mean things won't turn around the next. 

Review the Defendant's situation every year for positive changes.  Judgments can be renewed even after they expire.  So, it is crucial that you look at the judgment as an investment that you are overseeing and which you expect will eventually pay off.