How long does the person have to pay me after the judgment?
In the United States? This answer is Québec and Canadian law. The US side of this site answers different questions, state by state: different law, and different coverage. Go to the US side
Short answer
In Quebec, the debtor has 30 days from the date of the judgment to send the amounts owed to their creditor. That period is reduced to 10 days where they were condemned by default for having failed to contest the application.
In detail
This is voluntary performance: the debtor pays the creditor directly, with no bailiff and no involvement of the court. It is the simplest and least expensive route for both parties.
If the debtor does not perform the judgment within the time allowed, the creditor can begin forced execution proceedings to seize. The 30-day (or 10-day) period is therefore both a protection for the debtor and the starting point of the creditor’s remedies.
The courthouse’s court office calculates the interest owed following a judgment. The amounts therefore keep bearing interest as long as they go unpaid.
What to document
The date of the judgment, the date the payment period expires, and every payment received with its date and amount. If the debtor offers an arrangement, put it in writing: with no record, a partial payment becomes disputable.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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And to put it in order: our free tools · number your exhibits, set your facts in date order, request a copy of your file. No account, and nothing leaves your browser.
Official sources
- Voluntary performance of the judgment · Gouvernement du Québec
- The judgment · execution · Gouvernement du Québec
- Interest on the amount claimed · Gouvernement du Québec
Related questions
- The person isn't paying me after the judgment what do I do?
- How do I garnish the wages of someone who isn't paying me?
- How much can be garnished from a salary in Quebec?
- Can I find out what the debtor owns before seizing?
- Can I sue my landlord in small claims?
See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.