How to Collect Your Judgment in Florida

A Florida judgment is enforceable for 20 years, and can be renewed before it expires. A Florida money judgment is enforceable for 20 years (statute of limitations on the judgment, Fla. Stat. 95.11 / 55.081). The real-property judgment LIEN created by recording lasts 10 years per recording (Fla. Stat. 55.10) and may be extended once for an additional 10 years by re-recording a certified copy plus an affidavit before expiration - but never beyond the 20-year life under 55.081.

Yes. Garnishment in Florida can reach For non-head-of-family debtors: lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount exceeding 30x the federal minimum wage (federal CCPA limit). HEAD OF FAMILY: see exemptions - largely or entirely exempt.. Exemptions: HEAD OF FAMILY exemption (Fla. Stat. 222.11): if a head of family's disposable earnings are $750/week or less, ALL earnings are exempt; if more than $750/week, the excess is also exempt UNLESS the debtor agreed in writing to the garnishment. Earnings traceable as wages keep a 6-month exemption after deposit in a bank.

Through Fact Information Sheet (sworn financial disclosure); deposition/examination of judgment debtor also available (Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Form 1.977 (Fact Information Sheet - individuals); Form 1.977(b) / 7.343 for small claims) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. The final judgment can require the judgment debtor to complete Form 1.977 (a sworn fact information sheet) within 45 days and return it to the creditor. Failure can result in contempt. Creditors may also depose the debtor in aid of execution.

Record a certified copy of the judgment with the clerk of the circuit court (official records) in each county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property (Fla. Stat. 55.10). For PERSONAL property, file a Judgment Lien Certificate with the Florida Department of State (Fla. Stat. 55.202). The lien lasts 10 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 Florida-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.