An abstract of judgment is a written summary of a court’s judgment (final decision made by the judge or jury) that reflects how much the party who lost a lawsuit (the judgment debtor) owes the party who won the lawsuit (the judgment creditor)—including the rate of interest owed on the amount of the judgment until it is paid, the amount of court costs, and possibly the amount of the judgment creditor’s attorney fees the judgment debtor must pay as part of the judgment.

An abstract of judgment is usually filed in the county records and serves as notice of a lien or claim on any real estate (real property) owned or acquired by the judgment debtor in that county. If the judgment debtor does not pay the judgment, the judgment creditor may be able to force a sheriff’s sale of any real property in the county owned by the judgment debtor, with some or all of the proceeds of the sale being used to pay the judgment.

In Florida, an abstract of judgment is a summary of the court's final decision in a lawsuit, which outlines the amount owed by the judgment debtor to the judgment creditor, including interest, court costs, and possibly attorney fees. Once the judgment is rendered, the creditor may record an abstract of judgment in the public records of any county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property. This recording creates a lien on the debtor's real property located in that county. The lien serves as a public notice that the judgment creditor has a claim against the debtor's property. If the judgment is not satisfied, the creditor may enforce the judgment by initiating a judicial sale of the debtor's property, often through a sheriff's sale, to satisfy the debt. It's important to note that Florida has specific procedures and exemptions that may affect the enforcement of such liens, including homestead exemptions that protect a debtor's primary residence from forced sale under certain conditions.