How to Collect Your Judgment in Connecticut
You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact Connecticut forms and deadlines.
Your collection options in Connecticut
Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.
Find the money — debtor's asset exam
Form JD-CV-54 (Petition for Examination of Judgment Debtor / Notice of Hearing)Compels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.
Creditor files JD-CV-54 petition; the court issues a notice of hearing ordering the debtor to appear and answer questions about assets and income under oath.
Court fee: Examination is filed with the Superior Court; standard motion/petition handling (no separate execution fee). State marshal service fees apply for serving the order.
Garnish wages
Form JD-CV-3 (Wage Execution Proceedings - Application, Order, Execution); JD-CV-3a (Exemption and Modification Claim Form, Wage Execution)Diverts part of the debtor's paycheck to you — up to Lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage (C.G.S. 52-361a).
Execution begins 20 days after service on the employer. Served and collected by a state marshal.
Filed with: Application filed with the Superior Court that rendered the judgment; the wage execution is served on the employer by a state marshal
Levy the bank account
Form JD-CV-24 (Financial Institution Execution Proceedings - natural person); JD-CV-24N (non-natural person); JD-CV-24a (Exemption Claim Form)Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.
Creditor applies to the clerk for issuance of a financial institution execution; a state marshal serves it on the bank, which holds funds, and the debtor is given an exemption claim form (JD-CV-24a). Statutory exemptions (e.g., wages, public benefits) may be claimed.
Lien their real estate
Attaches to property the debtor owns for 20 years — you get paid when they sell or refinance. The cheap, passive backstop.
Record a judgment lien certificate on the land records of the town where the real property is located (C.G.S. 52-380a).
Court fee: Town clerk recording fee (varies by municipality); no separate court fee to create the lien certificate
The fine print that matters in Connecticut
How long your judgment lasts
No execution to enforce a money judgment may issue after 20 years from entry, and no action on the judgment after 25 years (C.G.S. 52-598). For small claims judgments, execution must issue within 10 years. A judgment creditor may file a Motion to Revive Judgment with the Superior Court before the applicable period expires.
Interest while you wait
C.G.S. 37-3a allows post-judgment interest of up to 10% per year as damages for detention of money; it is discretionary and the creditor must request it (it does not accrue automatically, especially where installment payments are ordered).
What the debtor can protect (exemptions)
75% of disposable wages protected (only 25% executable); statutory exemptions for wages, public assistance, Social Security, and other benefits may be claimed on the execution exemption forms. Homestead exemption available under C.G.S. 52-352b.
Connecticut gotchas
Post-judgment interest is NOT automatic - it is discretionary up to 10% under C.G.S. 37-3a and must be requested; if installment payments are ordered, interest may not accrue. Executions are issued by the court/clerk but served and collected by state marshals (not the sheriff), who charge their own statutory fees. Court fee per execution application is $105 (added to the collectible amount). The 52-380a judgment lien expires 20 years after the judgment unless a foreclosure action is commenced with a lis pendens recorded within that period.
Let us prepare your Connecticut collection paperwork
We prepare your Connecticut-specific enforcement forms — debtor's exam, garnishment, levy, or lien — plus a plain-English playbook telling you exactly where to file and what each step costs. You file them; we never charge a cut of what you collect.
Collection firms take 33–50% of what they recover. On a $4,000 judgment that's $1,300–$2,000. Our flat fee keeps the rest in your pocket.
Connecticut Judgment Collection FAQ
A Connecticut judgment is enforceable for 20 years, and can be renewed before it expires. No execution to enforce a money judgment may issue after 20 years from entry, and no action on the judgment after 25 years (C.G.S. 52-598). For small claims judgments, execution must issue within 10 years. A judgment creditor may file a Motion to Revive Judgment with the Superior Court before the applicable period expires.
Yes. Garnishment in Connecticut can reach Lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage (C.G.S. 52-361a). Exemptions: 75% of disposable earnings, or 40x the higher of the federal/state minimum wage, is protected (whichever is greater). Debtor may claim exemption/modification on JD-CV-3a.
Through Examination of Judgment Debtor (C.G.S. 52-397) (JD-CV-54 (Petition for Examination of Judgment Debtor / Notice of Hearing)) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Creditor files JD-CV-54 petition; the court issues a notice of hearing ordering the debtor to appear and answer questions about assets and income under oath.
Record a judgment lien certificate on the land records of the town where the real property is located (C.G.S. 52-380a). The lien lasts 20 years.
You pay the court and sheriff their own filing/levy fees directly (usually modest, and recoverable from the debtor). Our Judgment Collection service is a flat $299 — we prepare your Connecticut-specific enforcement forms and a step-by-step filing playbook; you file them. Compared with collection firms that take 33–50% of what they recover, that's hundreds to thousands less on a typical judgment.
Some debtors are "judgment-proof" — no job, no bank account, no equity — and no tool can squeeze money that isn't there. The honest play is the debtor's exam to confirm what exists, then keep the judgment alive (it lasts 20 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.
Collecting a judgment by county in Connecticut
Where you file your garnishment or levy depends on the counties.
Fairfield County
Hartford County
New Haven County
New London County
Litchfield County
Middlesex County
Tolland County
Windham County
Official Connecticut sources
- https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/law/moneyjudgments.htm
- https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/Notebooks/Pathfinders/EnforcingMoneyJudgments.pdf
- https://www.jud.ct.gov/forms/grouped/civil/collect_civil.htm
- https://www.jud.ct.gov/external/super/courtfee.htm
- https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-52/chapter-906/section-52-361a/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-52/chapter-906/section-52-380a/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-52/chapter-926/section-52-598/
- https://npmlaw.com/article/post-judgment-interest-when-enforcing-a-loan-in-connecticut-by-lucas-b-rocklin/
This page is general information about collecting a money judgment in Connecticut, not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures change and vary by court — confirm the current requirements with the court that entered your judgment before filing.
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