An Order for Examination or Debtor's Exam
If you don't pay what the judge said you owe, the creditor (the side you owe money to) can ask for a debtor’s examination. At a debtor's exam, they can ask you questions about your finances. You must answer them. The creditor can use this information to collect the money.
Debtor's examination
You must go to the debtor's exam and answer the questions
At a debtor's examination, the creditor can ask you about your financial situation. You must answer the questions under oath. This means there can be legal penalties if you lie.
They can ask things like where you work, what you earn, where you bank, and what property you own. They may also ask about what your spouse or registered domestic partner earns or owns.
The exam may take place in a courtroom or an office in the court.
You may also get a subpoena to bring records to the debtor's exam
The creditor may also serve you with a subpoena to have you bring records to the debtor's exam. You must bring those records unless you have a valid objection under the law. If you object to having to turn over a particular record, the other side may disagree and ask the judge to decide. For that reason, you may want to bring the records anyway, in case the judge disagrees with your objection and makes you turn over the information.
The examination can add costs to what you owe
The creditor can have the money they paid to tell you about this court date added to what you owe.
The creditor will use the information to try to collect
After the examination, the creditor can try to collect the money using the information they got about what you earn and own. If they try to collect from your bank account or paycheck, you may be able to stop or limit what's being taken. You will get a notice if this happens.