Why It’s Beneficial to Request a Judgment from the Onset When Seeking Monetary Relief
By: Mary Ellen Flynn, Esq.
301-563-6685
Email: meflynn@a-f.net
Time and time again, I hear that people expect to be paid when they receive an order from the Court. Unfortunately, most people don’t know that an “order” to be paid is different than a “judgment.” An order to pay is simply that: an order for one party to pay another party. However, only when that “order” to pay is reduced to a “judgment” can a party enforce that order to pay.
Whether you’re in a family law case or another type of civil case, it is important to ask the Judge to give you monetary relief in the form of a “judgment.” Sometimes, even when you request a judgment in your favor, the Court may decline to give you a judgment and instead give the other party a certain amount of time to pay before having a judgment on their record. Still, it is beneficial to always request a judgment from the onset. If you do not receive a judgment at the time the Court orders the other party to pay you, be sure to request the monetary order to be reduced to judgment when the requisite time passes.
You want to reduce an order for monetary relief to a judgment in all cases—even when the order to pay is for alimony or child support.
Why Should You Request a Judgment?
Only when you receive a judgment can you obtain the following types of relief:
- Garnishment of wages
- Garnishment of bank accounts
- Garnishment of other funds
- Impose a lien on real estate or other type of property
- Attach interest in a business
- Require the other party to appear in Court and disclose his/her assets and income
Also, only when there is a judgment imposed by Circuit Court or enrolled in Circuit Court does the judgement become a part of the other party’s credit report.
Contact the Attorneys at Andalman & Flynn to Enforce Your Judgments
The attorneys at Andalman & Flynn are very experienced at obtaining and enforcing judgments, and we have an excellent success rate of turning judgments into money. We are often hired by other attorneys to enforce the orders and judgments that those attorneys obtained for their clients, and we’ll use our knowledge and years of practice to do the same for you. Call Mary Ellen Flynn for a consultation at 301-563-6685, or send her an email at meflynn@a-f.net.
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