If a judge or jury decides in your favor, your next step is to get a judgment. This is the final court order that says what was decided, including how much you are owed.
If the judge or jury decides you lost your trial, pay close attention to see if you were ordered to do anything, like pay for some or all of the other side's lawsuit costs.
PRINT EMAILIf the judge (or a jury) decides the other side owes you money, the judge will sign a Judgment. The judgment should say how much you are awarded and who has to pay it. It may also say you are entitled to costs or attorney’s fees. Costs and fees are usually handled through filings made after the entry of judgment.
The court may issue the judgment, or it may ask you to prepare it. If you are asked to prepare it:
If they missed the court date because of an emergency or feel they made a mistake, they can file a motion to set aside. This is asking the judge for a “do over” because of “mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect.” They generally have six months to do this, but they need to act within a reasonable time after finding out about the order.
They can also file a motion to ask for a new trial. This can be for a variety of issues including irregularities in the proceedings, finding new evidence, or excessive damages.
If they think the judge didn't follow the law, they can file an appeal. This is a request for a higher court to review the judge’s decision.
In addition to saying you lost, the judge may also order that you have to pay the other side's costs, like filing fees and attorney fees. The judge may also decide that you have to do other things the other side asked for. If the other side sued you back, you may owe them the amount the judge ordered, if any.
talk to a lawyer if you need help understanding how to fix what went wrong or to find out if you have other options.
If you think the judge didn't follow the law when they decided your case or there was some other mistake, talk to a lawyer. They can tell you about appeals or other options. Learn more
An appeal is a request for a higher court to review the judge’s decision because you think the judge didn’t follow the law. Get more information on Civil Appeals. You also may be able to make a motion for relief from a judgment based on mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. There may also be a reason to ask for a new trial.
Talk to a lawyer if you want to try to attack a judgment. A lawyer can help explain what option you might have and what they recommend you do.
If the judge ordered one side owes the other money, find out how to collect or pay the money.