Updated: May 14, 2025
Published: October 19, 2022
When it comes to understanding someone’s financial standing or uncovering potential liabilities in a property transaction, one key area to examine is court judgments, especially those involving debt or money. In this post, we break down everything you need to know about Debt/Money judgment searches in Ireland: what they are, why they matter, and how to interpret the results.
The first obvious place to start is – What is a Court Judgment?
In short, a judgment is a court decision that settles a disagreement between two or more parties by setting out the rights and obligations of each party involved, i.e. what each side must do.
Irrespective of whether they are civil (disputes between people or legal entities) or criminal matters, judgments still fall into broadly three types of determinations: personal, i.e. one party being liable to another, property (that which affects the status or ownership of property), or a mix of both.
While judgments can involve non-monetary remedies, e.g. carry out or complete certain tasks (or a custodial sentence in criminal matters), more typically, the payment of monies is deemed the most appropriate way of correcting a harm.
As such, in this post, we will focus on Judgments (Debt/Money).
Why might a creditor (someone owed money) register a judgment?
Should a creditor obtain a monetary judgment and subsequently register this debt in the High Court‘s Judgment (Debt/ Money) Register, it becomes public record that someone owes them money under a court judgment.
Registration, thus, can be impactful in several ways. Firstly, it could affect a person or legal entity’s reputation, their fitness & probity status, their credit rating, or their ability to raise finance and/ or obtain a mortgage.
Other impacts could arise where a property, right or interest in real estate is up for sale. For example, a matching ‘hit’ from a search can alert purchasers to the potential of a subsequent judgment mortgage being registered thereon and thus raise concerns surrounding a sale only under court supervision.
Ultimately, in registering a judgment (debt/money), the harmed party is trying to exert public pressure on their debtor, so as to ensure that they are re-imbursed and made financially whole.
How long does a debt/money judgment entry last on the register?
Since the Circuit Court Rules (Order 36) 2024 was enacted on 29th March 2024, a Judgment (Debt/Money) gives creditors the legal right to seek an execution of judgment for up to 6 years from the date it was issued.
However, during that time, the judgment may be marked as satisfied, vacated, or cancelled, either by court order (with consent) or through a Notice of Motion.
That said, unless the judgment is formally annulled or removed, it will stay on the register permanently. This means it may still show up in a search, regardless of how old the entry is.
Note: Outside of the 6 years, an execution of judgment is allowed in perpetuity, if a court order is obtained.
So, for those wishing to determine the financial standing of a person /entity we ask the question…
How and what to search for on the Judgment (Debt/Money) register?
For due diligence, we search using just the person’s name.
In property transactions (like buying, selling, or transferring rights), searches are usually done for both the buyer and the seller. This is because lenders need to evaluate both parties as part of their “Review of Security,” which can affect mortgage approval or other financing.
Are addresses required to be provided as part of the searching instruction?
The short answer is that addresses are not required.
Ultimately, the Judgment (Debt/ Money) register is a register of names/ parties against whom a Judgment (Debt/ Money) has been recorded. As such, any searches are strictly confined to the names provided in the searching instruction.
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Start your search nowWhat will the Ellis & Ellis Judgment (Debt/Money) register result show me?
The Ellis & Ellis search is based solely on the names provided, so results will show any matches with that name, regardless of address. This means multiple entries with the same name, but different addresses, may appear.
If no matches are found, the certified result will confirm that.
When there is a match, the report may include details such as the address of the person at the time of judgment, judgment date, amount owed, any partial payments, legal costs, plaintiff and debtor information, occupation, date of registration in the Judgment Register, and the current status.
Usually, the “status” field is blank. However, if the judgment has later been satisfied, vacated, or cancelled, that updated status will be shown once officially confirmed.
How will I know if a ‘hit’ on the Judgment (Debt/Money) register is the intended target?
Since search results are based only on names and not addresses, it might not be clear whether a person listed in the Judgment (Debt/Money) Register is actually the person you’re interested in. This can be especially confusing if the addresses don’t match the one on the property title.
This happens because the person may have lived at a different address when the judgment was issued, or the property being sold might be just one of several they own.
For property transaction searches, if a name match appears, the buyer’s solicitor or conveyancer can ask the seller’s solicitor to confirm whether the judgment relates to their client, typically through a declaration.
The same clarification can be requested from a mortgage holder, especially if they currently live at a different address from the one being sold.
Use a Trusted Law Search Provider
Getting results from a debt/money judgment search can be complex. That’s why it is important that interested parties and purchasing solicitors use a trusted law search provider such as Ellis & Ellis.
With our blend of a quick and easy-to-use search ordering platform, over 135 years of professional know-how, and a quality after-sales experience, we provide clients with an exceptional searching service.
For added peace of mind, Ellis & Ellis provide substantial Professional Indemnity Cover.
Why not join the 1000’s of users who trust Ellis & Ellis to deliver them a competitive edge?
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