Federal judgments, whether issued by a U.S. District Court sitting in Texas or in another state, can be enforced and collected in Texas. The attorneys at The Dushkin Law Firm handle the collection of federal judgments. Our collection attorneys will work with our clients to develop a practical and cost-effective action plan for collection, so that our clients understand their options and can make sensible business choices regarding the collection.
Although the handling of each case will depend on the specific facts of the case, our attorneys may domesticate the federal judgment as a Texas judgment when cost effective to do so and will typically obtain judgment liens against any real property the debtor owns that is not exempt from execution, engage in post-judgment discovery as to the whereabouts, type and value of the debtor’s assets that can be sold to satisfy the judgment, and request that the U.S. Marshal (or state constable or sheriff if the federal judgment is domesticated) execute on the debtor’s known or discovered non-exempt assets. Although results will vary depending on the facts, just taking these collection steps will often persuade a debtor to negotiate for a settlement or payment plan to satisfy the judgment. When appropriate to do so, however, our attorneys will use post-judgment remedies and proceedings to reach the debtor’s non-exempt assets, such as post-judgment garnishment, applying for a turnover order, applying for a receivership of the debtor, or applying for a charging order. Our collection attorneys can also handle the fraudulent transfer (also known as a voidable transfer) lawsuit that may be available to reach assets transferred by the debtor to third parties.
Depending on the facts of the collection, The Dushkin Law Firm may provide legal representation on either an hourly or contingency fee basis. (In our usual contingency fee arrangement, the client will be responsible for paying court costs and other expenses.) Please feel free to call and discuss your specific collection needs with one of our attorneys. With certain exceptions, our practice is limited to the collection of judgments exceeding $10,000.