Judgment Collection: The Hard Truth

You've won your lawsuit. You have a judgment. Now what?

The unfortunate reality is that a judgment is only as good as your ability to collect on it. If the defendant has no assets, no insurance, and no income — your judgment is, practically speaking, worth the paper it's printed on.

Collection Tools in Pennsylvania

• Writ of execution: The sheriff levies on the defendant's personal property or real estate
• Bank account garnishment: Freeze and seize funds in the defendant's bank accounts
• Wage garnishment: Limited in Pennsylvania — generally only available for specific types of debts (support, student loans, taxes)
• Judgment lien: A judgment becomes a lien on real property in the county where it's entered — the defendant can't sell or refinance without satisfying it
• Discovery in aid of execution: Post-judgment discovery to find the defendant's assets

The Calculus

Before filing any lawsuit, we evaluate not just whether you can win — but whether winning will actually put money in your pocket. This honest assessment is part of our responsibility to you as your attorney.

This doesn't mean we won't take difficult cases. Sometimes the principle matters. Sometimes you need to establish a record. Sometimes the judgment itself creates leverage (preventing a property sale, for example). But you should always go in with open eyes.