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 New Jersey, an abstract of judgment is a summary of a court's final decision that outlines the debt owed by the judgment debtor to the judgment creditor, including interest, court costs, and possibly attorney fees. Once the judgment is entered, the creditor can file this abstract with the county clerk where the debtor owns property, which creates a lien against the debtor's real estate in that county. This lien serves as a public record that the judgment creditor has a claim on the debtor's property. If the debtor fails to satisfy the judgment, the creditor may enforce the lien through a sheriff's sale of the property, where the proceeds are used to pay off the debt. New Jersey law governs the process of recording and enforcing these liens, and the specific procedures must be followed to ensure the lien is valid and enforceable.