Call Us At: 713-547-5460
You’ve gone to court, and the judge or jury ruled in your favor and awarded you money. But the defendant, who lives in another state and holds their assets there, refuses to comply with the order and pay up. What next? How do you get your money?
Fortunately, under Article IV, section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, a court ruling or judgment in one state is entitled to “full faith and credit” in every other state in the U.S.: Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof. This means that a judgment awarded in Maine, for example, is enforceable in every other state. Please note, however, that remedies available to judgment creditors in the state of judgment are not always available in Texas.
To make the collection of judgments in other states easier, Louisiana and Texas have both passed a form of uniform law similar to those in most states in the U.S. The Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (UEFJA) simplifies collection procedures across state lines. The Texas UEFJA governs the domestication of foreign judgments in Texas, while the Louisiana UEFJA does the same in Louisiana. Each UEFJA sets forth procedures for your attorney to take a judgment from a federal or state court in another state and enforce it in Texas or Louisiana. This is referred to as “domesticating” a judgment. Your attorney can also use this process to domesticate a judgment you received in a Texas or Louisiana court in another state. California and Vermont are the only states that haven’t passed a version of the UEFJA.
Yes! If you’ve have a judgment that you need to enforce in Texas, Louisiana, or another state, figuring out court rules and procedures on your own is risky and ill-advised, to say the least.
Manfred Sternberg & Associates is well versed in domestication across the U.S. (Federal level) and enforcement in Louisiana and Texas (State level). Contact us online or give us a call at
(713) 547-5460.
Mr. Sternberg’s track record and experience of working with clients from the earliest stages of their cases allows him to bring a uniquely broad-based perspective to the matters he handles.
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Phone: 713-547-5460
1700 Post Oak Blvd
2 BLVD Place Suite 610
Houston, TX 77056
201 St. Charles Avenue
Suite 2500 PMB # 8873
New Orleans, LA 70170
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.
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