 TITLE: Does Bankruptcy Get Rid of Judgments? CONTENT: What Is a Judgment?\n-------------------\nA judgment is a court order, issued in response to a creditor's suit against you, that declares you liable to pay what you owe them. A creditor with a judgment against you can do any or all of the following in pursuit of the money they are owed:\n*   Garnish your wages\n*   Take from your bank accounts\n*   Obtain a _judgment_ _lien_ against your property (real estate, vehicles, etc.), which could allow a creditor to seize the property, compel you to sell it, or entitle them to collect what they're owed from the proceeds when you sell the property voluntarily.\nJudgments can be issued in all kinds of civil matters, including personal injury liability suits, small-claims cases and even property-boundary disputes—in any case where monetary damages can be assigned.\nThe most common judgments relevant to bankruptcy involve unpaid debts. Lenders, credit card issuers and other creditors may bring suit if you default on your accounts and secure judgments ordering you to pay what you owe.\nThe nature of the debt behind each judgment, and whether it is considered priority debt that cannot be discharged, will determine if bankruptcy can erase it. END