Chicago Judgment Enforcement Attorneys

Illinois Judgment Enforcement Lawyers for Citations, Garnishments and Levies

When a judgment is entered in a commercial debt collection case, the judgment creditor has the legal right to take certain actions to collect on the judgment. The judgment creditor does not have to do this alone - an experienced attorney can help with the process of judgment enforcement, including determining whether citations, garnishments, levies, or other methods may be used to collect what is owed.

Enforcing a judgment can be a complex process, and not many attorneys maintain the experience to properly utilize all the post-judgment tools available to commercial creditors. At Teller, Levit & Silvertrust, P.C., we have experience working with companies of all sizes and types, from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses, to collect receivables and enforce their judgments. For over 100 years, our firm has been assisting clients with post-judgment enforcement and commercial litigation. We have the knowledge, experience, and skill to ensure that judgments can be enforced correctly.

Judgment Enforcement Methods

After obtaining a judgment after trial or by default, there are many different ways to enforce a judgment, and the attorneys at Teller, Levit & Silvertrust, P.C. can help identify the best methods based on the circumstances of a particular case. Some common methods of judgment enforcement include:

• Citations and Third-Party Citations to Discover Assets - To gain a full understanding of the financial resources that may be available to a debtor to pay the amount owed, a creditor may use a judgment enforcement method called a citation to discover assets. This allows the judgment creditor to formally ask the court to require that the judgment debtor disclose their financial information, including bank accounts, property ownership, and other assets. Citations may be issued to the debtor and to third parties such as banks, and in addition to uncovering financial information, a citation will also place a freeze on the debtor's assets, ensuring that they cannot be moved or spent until judgment collection is complete.
• Garnishments - A judgment debtor's wages can be garnished to pay the amount owed. This means that a portion of the judgment debtor's paycheck will go directly to the judgment creditor instead of being deposited into the judgment debtor's bank account. Garnishment orders will be issued to the debtor's employer, who will be required to deduct a certain amount from the debtor's wages and pay this amount directly to the creditor.
• Levies - Another judgment enforcement method is a levy, which allows the judgment creditor to seize and sell assets owned by the judgment debtor. This may be done by liquidating bank accounts containing funds belonging to the judgment debtor or taking possession of any other type of asset that can be sold.
• Liens - A judgment creditor may use judgment enforcement methods such as liens to hold judgment debtors responsible for judgments and to ensure that the judgment amount will be paid. A lien is a legal notice attached to real estate property owned by a debtor, and before the property can be sold or ownership can be transferred to another party, the judgment must be satisfied.
• Charging Orders - In cases where a judgment debtor is a member of an LLC, a judgment creditor may be able to gain the right to charge against the debtor's LLC membership interest. This ensures that any proceeds received by or paid out of an LLC are paid directly to a judgment creditor, while protecting the interests of other members and ensuring that the LLC will be able to continue operating. This can be a powerful judgment enforcement tool in commercial debt collection cases.

Contact Our Illinois Commercial Judgment Enforcement Lawyers

As you can see, there are many different judgment enforcement methods available for commercial creditors. At Teller, Levit & Silvertrust, P.C., we can help creditors determine their best options for enforcing judgments, and we can also advise them on how to proceed in situations where debtors fraudulently convey assets or file for bankruptcy. If you are a judgment creditor who needs to make sure you proceed correctly when enforcing your judgment, please contact our office at 312-922-3030. We would be happy to discuss your case with you and explain how we can help.