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Why Referring Attorneys Hire a Post-Judgment Enforcement Agency

Writer: Support Arlington Laurel
Support Arlington Laurel
Aug 18
2 min read

Winning a judgment is only half the fight. Collecting on it is a separate, specialized skill set — and one that most litigation practices aren't set up to handle in-house.

Enforcement Is a Different Discipline Than Litigation

Trial and litigation work is about building and arguing a case. Post-judgment enforcement is about locating assets, moving quickly before they disappear, and navigating a dense set of procedural tools under the CPLR — information subpoenas, restraining notices, income executions, and property liens. These aren't skills a litigator uses day to day, and keeping up with them takes ongoing, dedicated attention.

Contingency Work Means No Added Cost to the Client

An enforcement agency working on contingency is paid only out of what's actually recovered. There's no retainer, no hourly billing, and no upfront cost to the judgment creditor. For a referring attorney, that means you can point a client toward real collection effort without adding a new expense to their file.

Third-Party Subpoenas Reach Where Direct Contact Can't

Enforcement work relies on third-party subpoenas — to banks, employers, and other institutions holding a debtor's assets or income information — rather than contacting the debtor directly. This keeps the process compliant and focused on verifiable, institutional records rather than relying on a debtor's cooperation, which is rarely forthcoming.

It Frees Up Your Time for the Work You Actually Do

Every hour spent chasing a bank subpoena response or checking an unclaimed funds database is an hour not spent on active litigation. Handing enforcement to a dedicated agency lets you stay focused on your caseload while your client's judgment doesn't quietly go stale.

A Judgment Doesn't Enforce Itself

Judgments don't have an expiration on effort, but they do have practical windows — debtors move, close accounts, and become harder to trace over time. The earlier enforcement work starts after judgment, the better the odds of recovery.

If you have a client with a judgment that hasn't been collected, we handle enforcement on a contingency basis — no cost unless we recover.

 
 
 

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