Taking a person or company to civil court might seem like the best solution in your effort to right previous wrongs. Perhaps you have successfully done so. You have won your case and received a judgment in civil court. Now what? Where do you go from here?
Although every civil case is different, there are times when winning is the easy part. The hard part is actually collecting the monetary award. It turns out that collecting is not as easy as it sounds. A lot goes into it – a lot of time, money, and hard work.
1. Plot a Path Forward with Your Attorney
The very first step after winning a civil judgment is sitting down with your attorney and plotting a path forward. Unless the losing party – also known as the judgment debtor – is prepared to make good on the judgment as soon as it is rendered, you are going to need some sort of collection plan before you can proceed.
Your attorney is obviously qualified to help you understand the legal aspects of collection. You may be looking at things like wage garnishment, writs of execution, asset seizure, and so forth. All these things are governed by rules and procedures that need to be followed.
2. Research Common Collection Practices in Your State
The rules governing how judgment creditors can collect differ from state to state. As such, there is no uniform set of procedures we could recommend. So before you begin trying to collect, it’s a good idea to research the most common collection practices in your state. Find out what others have done. Do some research into what works and what doesn’t.
As you research, also pay attention to your sources. You are more likely to get accurate information from attorneys, legal aid organizations, and companies like ours. Those of us who work in the collection business have valuable knowledge and experience we can share. The same cannot always be said for bloggers with minimal experience in judgment collection.
3. Consider Bringing in a Collection Agency
Your attorney might offer to manage the collection on your behalf. Alternatively, you might decide to handle it yourself or assign the task to your accounting and billing department. We strongly urge you to consider bringing in a collection agency. Our position is that collection agencies are the most qualified to manage the job.
Here at Judgment Collectors, collecting judgments is all we do. It is our area of expertise. We have a dedicated team of knowledgeable collection specialists who eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff. Furthermore, our combined years of experience are an invaluable asset we put to work on behalf of each and every client.
One more thing in this regard: we also believe that it is important to bring a collection agency in as early in the process as possible. The sooner an agency can get started working on your case, the better the chances of success. Waiting only gives a judgment debtor time to get out in front – and stay there.
4. judgment in civil court: Prepare for a Long Journey
Finally, prepare for a long journey. Collection efforts are rarely wrapped up in short order. It could take months, or even years, to collect what you are owed. If you are willing to be patient and diligent, success is possible. But if you try to rush things, you may not be pleased with the outcome.
Now that you have won a judgment in civil court, you have some decisions to make. Here’s hoping the information in this post has given you a good starting point.