How to Collect Your Judgment in Tennessee

A Tennessee judgment is enforceable for 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. A judgment lien created by registering the judgment lasts for the time remaining in a 10-year period from the date of final judgment entry (TCA 25-5-105). The underlying judgment can be kept alive/extended by timely action (e.g., re-issuance of execution or renewal) under Tenn. R. Civ. P. and TCA Title 25/26; the recorded lien itself is not separately revived after the 10-year registration period.

Yes. Garnishment in Tennessee can reach 25% of disposable earnings (or amount exceeding 30x federal minimum wage, whichever is less), plus an extra $2.50/week exempt per dependent child under 16. Exemptions: Federal CCPA limits apply: lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30x the federal minimum wage. Tennessee adds an exemption of $2.50 per week for each dependent child under 16 the debtor supports who lives in Tennessee (TCA 26-2-107); the debtor must notify the employer of dependents to claim it.

Through Debtor's examination / post-judgment discovery — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 69.06 and TCA Title 26, a judgment creditor may conduct post-judgment discovery and compel the judgment debtor to appear and answer under oath about income and assets. The court issues an order requiring the debtor to attend.

Register a certified copy of the judgment with the county Register of Deeds in the county where the debtor owns real property (recorded in the lien book) per TCA 25-5-101. 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 Tennessee-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 10 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.