abstract of judgment

Abstract of judgment refers to a copy or summary of a court’s judgment . Some common uses of the term “abstract of judgment” include:

• In the context of a civil case , abstract of judgment is a document disclosing a monetary award issued by the court in favor of a judgment creditor against a judgment debtor . It includes the rate of interest to be paid on the judgment amount, court costs, and any specific orders for the judgment debtor. An abstract of judgment creates a lien on any real estate property owned by the judgment debtor in the county in which the abstract of judgment is recorded. Issuance procedure and contents of “abstract of judgment” varies according to statutes .
• In the context of a criminal case , cases such as People v. Delgado (2008) explain that the abstract of judgment is "a contemporaneous, statutorily sanctioned, officially prepared clerical record of the conviction and sentence .” It informs prison officials about the conviction and provides authority for carrying the judgment and sentence into effect.

[Last reviewed in October of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

Wex

• THE LEGAL PROCESS
• criminal law
• civil procedure
• courts and procedure
• wex definitions