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How to collect a judgment

When you win a court case, the court gives you a judgment. This says the other person (the debtor) owes you money. But the court doesn't collect the money for you. You must take steps to collect it.

This page explains your options and the steps to follow.

Jump to section:

Learn about your judgment
Start by asking the debtor to pay
Do a debtor’s examination
Choose how you want to collect
Keep track of what you spend trying to collect
Key takeaways

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Learn about your judgment

To collect a judgment, you need to understand:

How much is owed (the judgment amount plus interest)
Who owes the money
What income or property the debtor has

Some property can be collected. Some property is protected by law.

Start by asking the debtor to pay

Before you start collection steps, try asking the debtor to pay you.

This can save time and money.

You can:

Send a simple letter asking for the money they owe you
Ask for a payment plan
Ask if they can pay in full or in parts

Stay polite and don't contact the debtor too often.

If they pay you, you have to fill out an Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment (form EJ-100) to let the court know.
Learn about the steps for completing this form

Do a debtor’s examination

If the debtor doesn't pay you voluntarily and you don't know what they own or where they work, you can ask the court to order the debtor to come to court and answer questions about these things.

A debtor’s exam can help you learn:

Where the debtor works
What bank accounts they have
What property they own
If someone else owes them money
What businesses they have
What income they receive

This information helps you decide the best way to collect.

If the debtor doesn't come to court, the judge may issue a bench warrant.

How to get debtor's exam

Choose how you want to collect

There are many ways to collect your money. Pick the one that best fits your situation.

Ask the court for a Writ of Execution if you want to collect money from the debtor's:

Bank account (called a bank levy)
Paycheck (called wage garnishment)

A Writ of Execution tells the sheriff to collect for you. You can’t collect these things on your own.

Get a Writ of Execution

If the person owns real estate, you can put a lien on their property. This means you file a form with the county to let the public know the person owes you money. A lien makes it so that if the property is ever sold or refinanced, you may get paid from the sale.

To put a lien on property, you first need an Abstract of Judgment. This is a short document from the court that says how much the person owes you. After you get it, you can record it in any county where the debtor owns property or where you think they might own property.

Get an Abstract of Judgment

Collecting from a business

If a business owes you money, there are other ways to collect. Some of these are more expensive than wage garnishments or bank levies, but they can work well in certain cases.

Till tap

The sheriff can go to the business and take money from the cash register.

Keeper

The sheriff can stay at the business for a short time and collect money from customers as they pay.

Rent or money owed to the business

If someone is paying the business rent or owes them other money, the sheriff can collect from that person. This is sometimes called a third-party levy.

In many cases, this works better through an assignment order, which is a formal request to the court.

License suspension

If your case is about someone’s professional work or a car accident, you may be able to ask the state to suspend their license.

This depends on the type of case and the type of license.

Turn over property

If the debtor has valuable items, like jewelry or musical instruments, you can ask a judge to order them to turn these items over to the sheriff to sell.

This may not be worth it if:

The item has a loan on it
The item is protected by an exemption
Sheriff storage fees would cost more than the item is worth

Selling a house or land

A house or land (real property) can be sold at a sheriff’s auction.

This is rare, complicated, and takes a long time.

If the property is the debtor’s home, the law protects a large amount of the equity.

The court must be involved any time the sheriff wants to sell property that has a home on it, no matter who lives there.

Because this process is difficult and has many protections, it’s best to talk to a lawyer before considering this step.

Get help

This stuff can be complicated. If you want to learn more about collecting money or get legal help, visit your local self-help center or talk to a lawyer.

Keep track of what you spend trying to collect

Collecting money can cost you money. You may be able to add these costs to the amount the debtor owes. You can also add interest.

How to add costs and interest

Renew your judgment if needed

⚠️ Most civil judgments last 10 years.

If you think it’ll take more than 10 years to collect, you must renew your judgment before it expires.

If you don’t renew it in time, you can’t collect anymore.

📌 Family law money judgments, like child or spousal support, don’t expire.

Tell the court when you're fully paid

If the debtor pays you the full amount, either voluntarily or through your collection steps, you must tell the court.

The debtor can also send you a written request asking you to tell the court.
📅 If you don’t tell the court within 15 days after their request, you may have to pay a penalty.

To report payment, file:

Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment (form EJ-100)

This form tells the court the judgment has been paid.

Get help if you need it

Collecting money can be hard. It can take time and many steps.

If you need help, you can:

Talk to your court’s Self-Help Center
Hire a lawyer
Assign (transfer) your right to collect to a collection agency or judgment enforcer

💵 Anyone who helps you collect will charge a fee.

Key takeaways

You must take steps to collect a judgment. The court doesn’t collect it for you.
Start by asking the debtor to pay you.
A debtor’s exam can help you learn what the debtor owns.
Choose the collection type that best fits your situation.
You only need a Writ of Execution if you want the sheriff to take or freeze property.
You can add some collection costs and interest to the amount you're owed.
Most judgments last 10 years. Renew yours before it expires if you need more time.
Tell the court when the judgment is fully paid.

Collecting your judgment