The Credit Busters guide

How to remove a
court judgment

A court judgment is one of the most serious marks on a credit file, and it can block finance for five years. In some cases it can be challenged or set aside. This guide explains how judgments work and how Credit Busters approaches them on a No Win, No Fee basis.

On this page

What a judgment on your file means

A court judgment is recorded when a creditor takes legal action over an unpaid debt and the court decides in their favour. It appears on your credit file and tells every lender who looks that a matter went to court, which is a serious signal of risk.

How long a judgment stays

A judgment or writ stays on your credit file for five years from the date of the judgment. During that time it can be one of the biggest single reasons for finance being declined.

When a judgment can be challenged

A judgment may be able to be challenged, removed or set aside when, for example:

  • you were never properly served and did not know about the case;
  • it was entered in error, or against the wrong person;
  • the underlying debt was paid, disputed, or is not enforceable;
  • there are proper grounds to apply to the court to set it aside.

Every judgment turns on its facts, so Credit Busters reviews your situation and tells you honestly whether we believe we can help. See if Credit Busters can help, or read the No Win, No Fee credit repair guide.

Does paying it remove it?

No. Paying a judgment can update it to show as paid or satisfied, but the listing itself generally stays for the full five years unless it is removed because it should not have been listed, or it is set aside. It is worth checking your position before you pay.

How Credit Busters helps

The check is free and online. Credit Busters reviews the judgment, tells you straight whether we believe it can be removed or set aside, and works on it on a No Win, No Fee basis. You only pay a success fee if it is actually removed. Credit Busters operates under Australian Credit Licence 564856 and is not a law firm.

Frequently asked questions

A court judgment or writ stays on your credit file for five years from the date of the judgment. It is one of the most serious listings a lender can see and it can block finance for the whole period.
It can in some cases. A judgment may be able to be challenged or set aside where you were not properly served, where it was entered in error, where the debt was paid or disputed, or where there are grounds to apply to the court to set it aside. Credit Busters assesses your situation and tells you honestly whether we believe we can help.
No. Paying a judgment does not automatically remove it. It can be updated to show as paid or satisfied, but the listing itself generally remains for five years unless it is removed because it should not have been listed, or it is set aside.
Checking is free. Credit Busters works No Win, No Fee, so a fee only applies if the judgment is actually removed. There is no upfront cost.
Generally yes. A court judgment signals that a creditor took you to court and won, so lenders treat it as a serious risk. Removing it, where that is possible, can make a real difference to your approvals.

Got a judgment? See if Credit Busters can bust it.

It’s free to check, it’s all online, and you pay nothing unless Credit Busters wins.

See if we can help

Find out if we can bust it.

It's free to check, it's all online, and you pay nothing unless we win.

See if we can help