Borrowing money comes with the responsibility to repay it. This is true whether you’ve gotten a loan from a lender or have credit from a creditor. If you don’t repay what you’ve borrowed, the lender or creditor can take legal action against you.
If you are facing a lawsuit, it is important to take action and not ignore the situation. If you do not respond, you may lose by default judgment. This can have a negative impact on your finances and credit long term. Therefore, it is in your best interest to try and resolve the issue as soon as possible.
If you find that you have an outstanding judgment against you, it is important to take care of it. This process can be unpleasant, but it is crucial to find out about the judgment and take care of it.
Understanding a Judgment

If you owe a debt and the creditor wins a court case against you, the court may issue a judgment. This provides the creditor with the ability to collect the debt from you, plus interest and any attorney’s fees incurred.
If you are facing a lawsuit, it is important to be aware of the potential consequences. A judgment against you can result in wage garnishment, meaning that the creditor can take money directly from your paycheck. This is why it is crucial to be aware of any lawsuits against you before a judgment is filed. There are two ways this can happen:
- You do not show up in court
- The debt is legally yours
Examples of How You May Find Out About a Judgment

If you have been sued and a judgment has been entered against you, there are a few ways you can find out. The court that handled your case should have sent you information about the lawsuit and the judgment.
- Wages garnishment: One of the most common ways creditors seize your finances is through wage garnishment. With wage garnishment, a creditor can legally take a percentage of your paycheck each time it is issued. The amount taken usually does not exceed 10 percent of your gross wages, but it could be up to 25 percent of your weekly wages.
- Freezing of assets: Your creditors may have the ability to freeze your bank account without warning. This can leave you unable to access any of your funds, which can be a terrible situation to be in.
- Property liens: Your creditors may have the ability to freeze your bank account without warning. This can leave you unable to access any of your funds, which can be a terrible situation to be in.
Is There a Judgment Against Me Without My Knowledge?

If you’ve been served with a summons, it means that someone has filed a lawsuit against you. This can happen if you didn’t receive the original summons in the mail, or if you’ve recently moved addresses. Often, it’s the result of something called “sewer service.” Sewer service is when the collector doesn’t serve you properly with the summons. Consequently, you never learn of the lawsuit, you never respond, and then you lose. The first time you hear about a lawsuit is when your wages are garnished.
If you’re worried that you’ve been sued without your knowledge, the best thing to do is call your local court and ask them if there are any lawsuits against you. Give them your first and last name, and they should be able to tell you if there are any records of a lawsuit against you.
It’s important to remember that judgments don’t always show up on credit reports. So even if you don’t see anything on your credit report, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you haven’t been sued. If you have received a summons, the best thing to do is call the court indicated on the summons to check and see if there is a judgment file against you.