Enforcing a court judgment for money owed

Once judgment has been granted in your favour, and if the debtor does not pay, you will not recover the money unless you take enforcement action. There are different enforcement methods including a sheriff’s writ for the levy of property. This is where the judgment debtor’s property may be sold to pay the debt. Another enforcement method is a garnishee order where money is taken from the judgment debtor’s bank accounts, wages or a real estate agent (e.g. if the debtor owns rental property) to pay the judgment debt. The debtor may also be made bankrupt in some circumstances. Enforcing a judgment can be a technical process so we recommend seeking legal assistance before doing so.