Judgment

After trial or inquest, the Judge or Arbitrator will render a decision. Both parties will receive a Notice of Judgment from the court. The Notice of Judgment will include the Judge or Arbitrator’s decision. If the claimant wins, the court will enter a judgment against the defendant for a sum of money. The defendant is legally obligated to pay the judgment and the claimant will be entitled to enforce the judgment against the defendant.

The claimant who is awarded the judgment is then called the "judgment-creditor" and the defendant who owes the amount awarded is called the "judgment-debtor."

The debtor is permitted 30 days from the time that the notification of judgment is received to pay the judgment. The debtor must present proof to the court that the judgment has been paid. The judgment is valid for a period of 20 years.

An appeal may only be taken from an order or judgment made by a Judge, not an Arbitrator. For more information about appealing a Judge’s decision, you may click on Appeals. If the debtor did not appear in court on the day the hearing was held, he or she is a defaulting party. If so, he or she may come to court and seek to vacate the default. For more information, click on Vacating a Default Judgment.

If the judgment-debtor fails to pay the judgment, the judgment-creditor may take steps to collect the judgment. There are several collection procedures that may be attempted, including restraining the debtors assets, seizing the debtor’s property or garnishing the debtor’s salary or bank accounts. For more information, click on Collecting the Judgment.