A judgment is a decision of the court regarding the rights and liabilities of parties in a court case. A judgment can also explain why the court made certain decisions or orders.
Default Judgment - If the defendant (or respondent) does not answer in time or make a motion, the plaintiff (or petitioner) can ask the court for a default judgment. A default judgment can give the plaintiff what he or she wants because the defendant did not tell his or her side of the story. The default judgment usually gives the plaintiff the right to collect the amount of money that was asked for in the complaint, plus interest and court costs. The judgment will appear on the defendant’s credit report, and it can be there for up to seven years if it is not paid. The judgment also gives the plaintiff the right to collect money from the defendant’s bank account or salary. After entry of judgment, the other person can start enforcing or collecting on the judgment. See collecting a judgment (can link to the money judgement section - collections).
When Judgment has been paid - When the debtor pays the judgment in full, the creditor must file a Satisfaction of Judgment with the Court. If the judgment creditor does not send in a satisfaction of judgment, the debtor can file a motion with the court asking the Judge to satisfy the judgment. The debtor needs to attach any copies of receipts to show the debt has been paid.
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