Judgments are official decrees signed by a state or federal judge which adjudicate the rights of parties in a lawsuit. They can resolve part of the parties' claims or all of the parties claims. Judgments can be entered by the court when the defendant fails to answer a lawsuit after proper service of citation (called a "default judgment") or after the court has considered evidence submitted by the parties.

Once a judgment has been entered by the trial court, the parties have a short amount of time to challenge the judgment, such as by filing motions for reconsideration, motions for new trial or an appeal to a higher court.

If the judgment has become "final," the prevailing party (in other words, the party in whose favor the case was decided) can proceed with collection on any amounts awarded under the judgment. For example, the prevailing party (now called a "judgment creditor") may seek to recover money or assets from the judgment debtor through garnishment, turnover, and execution on real or personal property, as well as other methods permitted by law.

If you have a legal issue related to Judgments and their collection or collectability, please contact Marc Lippincott or Erik Cary for an appointment to discuss.

Cary & Lippincott PLLC - 700 Lavaca Suite 1030 - Austin, TX 78701 - (Main) 1-512-472-2300 - (Fax) 1-512-472-2303