Remove a court judgment from your credit file

If you've discovered a court judgment on your credit file, there may be legitimate ways to have it removed. Real Credit Repairers can examine and contest the listing with credit agencies like Equifax, illion, and Experian. Our service operates on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning you only pay once we successfully remove the listing.

While we can't promise removal in every case, our team is committed to uncovering any valid grounds for dismissal. Reach out to us today, and we'll begin by reviewing your credit report.

Book your free credit report review

1800 953 563

Can a court judgment be removed from your credit file?

If there is good cause, it is possible to have the judgment entry removed from your credit report through the courts. This is not a guaranteed process; even well-established credit repair companies cannot guarantee success because it all depends on your personal case.

In Australia, a court judgment will stay on your credit report for five years even if the debt is paid back, and it will categorise you as a “risky borrower”. The key factor is determining if your case qualifies for removal.

The credit file listing and the court judgment are two separate records

There are two major entries regarding credit records. One is the entry found in the credit file kept by credit agencies such as Equifax, illion, and Experian. The other is the court judgment, which is a public document from the court presiding over the matter.

These entries update differently. If you have settled any judgment debts, they shall reflect as "satisfied" on your report. However, they shall not be erased. They continue to stay on your credit history for five years, after which they show that the debt is settled.

In order to ensure that the listing is totally removed from the credit file, the judgment will either have to be set aside through the court system or withdrawn by the creditor. In this regard, you will have to provide the credit agencies with an order from the court or a notice of discontinuance to ensure that the listing is removed. Most people aim to clear their credit file to regain financial access, a task that involves more than just disputing the debt in court.

Real Credit Repairers looks into every case and finds your strongest angle before we move ahead, because the judgment can only be taken off if there is one. This is a free assessment, which will give you an immediate verdict on your chances of winning. You may qualify if:

Grounds to remove a court judgment from your credit file

The debt was either paid in full or settled with the creditor
The lender has agreed to remove the judgment
There was an error in the judicial process or the document that was filed against you
You have not been served properly or made aware of the legal proceedings
The debt doesn’t belong to you, or the amount is incorrect
An administrative mistake has caused the debt to appear on your record

We tailor our approach to align with your specific situation, increasing the chances of a positive outcome. Initially, we collect all necessary documents and carefully compare the court record with your bank statements. The Privacy Act empowers you to correct any inaccurate credit information, including any judgments that may have been wrongly listed.

Paid or settled debts

When you settle a judgment by paying it off, it remains on your record for five years. Many people mistakenly believe that simply paying the debt clears their record. However, once the debt is settled, you can request the creditor to remove the listing by filing a notice of discontinuance. If you're still in the process of negotiating your debt, you can work on both the debt negotiation and the listing removal at the same time.

Procedural or service errors

If an individual does not get due notice about the case filed against them, then they may end up being defaulted without any awareness. It means that they were not duly informed by the court of law, thereby preventing them from defending themselves within the stipulated time limit. If you find out that you were not duly notified, or there are mistakes in the judgment such as the misidentification of the individual or amounts owed, you have grounds for requesting that the judgment be overturned.

When dealing with court judgments, the primary concern is whether there is a valid reason to contest the listing. Real Credit Repairers focuses on addressing both personal and commercial court judgments, offering solutions for various situations.

What types of court judgments RCR can remove

We often handle cases involving personal loan defaults, unpaid utility bills, disputes over private loans, toll debts, school fees, gym memberships, buy-now-pay-later claims, and civil actions between individuals. Regardless of whether these issues were addressed in a local Magistrates Court or a higher court, the procedure for listing them remains consistent.

Our team begins by reviewing each case to determine if we can take action. If your issue involves a default rather than a judgment, you can find assistance on our page dedicated to removing credit defaults, with other entries on our remove a credit black mark page.

Real Credit Repairers does it all for you so that you don’t have to go through filling in forms and writing letters to creditors yourself. This is what we do:

How RCR removes a court judgment from your credit file

Step 3

After that, we devise a strategy tailored to your specific needs, selecting the most promising approach.

Our team then takes action, communicating directly with creditors and the courts on your behalf. This may involve organising a notice of discontinuance or consent order with the creditor, or filing an application to overturn a default judgment in the appropriate legal setting.

Step 4

Step 5

Once we secure agreement from the creditor or a favourable court order, we proceed to remove the listing by submitting the necessary documents to Equifax, illion, and Experian.

Step 1

We begin by offering a no-strings-attached consultation where we thoroughly examine your credit report. This helps us identify what entries are recorded and which credit bureau is involved.

Next, we evaluate your situation to determine if there's a valid basis for removing any items, providing you with a clear picture of the expected timeframes and costs.

Step 2

Step 6

We ensure the update is reflected in your credit report and provide you with written confirmation that the entry has been successfully removed.

What court judgment removal costs

We maintain a straightforward pricing model for our services. Unlike many credit repair businesses, we clearly display our fees. When we take on your case, there is a small, non-refundable initial fee of $99 to cover our assessment. For removing a court judgment, we charge $1,495, including GST, per judgment successfully removed. This fee is only charged if we successfully remove the listing from your credit file. If we don't succeed, you owe nothing, and we provide written proof for every successful removal.

$99

non-refundable initial assessment

$1,495

inc GST, per judgment successfully removed

How long court judgment removal takes

Each situation is unique, but Real Credit Repairers typically finishes the process in about eight weeks. We handle the courts and creditors directly, and also work with credit reporting agencies to complete everything as swiftly as legal procedures permit. Most clients notice improvements within 30 to 45 days. Considering that a judgment can linger on your record for five years, taking action promptly can enhance your financial opportunities and change how lenders perceive your risk level.

Start your court judgment removal

Start taking control of your financial future today. Reach out to us with your questions or give us a call on 1800 945 140, and we'll assess your report to see how we can assist you. If you'd rather begin with the essentials, take advantage of our free credit report and consultation. With our no-win, no-fee policy, you can explore your options without any risk.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, when there is proper justification, but nothing is ever assured. Your listing is evaluated first before we approach the creditor or court to remove it on a no win-no fee basis.
A court judgment will stay on your credit file for up to five years after the date of the judgment, regardless of whether you clear your debt or not. It stays for the full term unless it is set aside by the court or discontinued by the creditor.
No. Paying changes the status to satisfied, but the record remains on your credit report for the full five years, and creditors may still see it. To clear it completely, the record has to be removed on grounds.
A default judgment is one entered without you defending the claim, often because you were never properly served. When there are reasons like a faulty service or a genuine defence, you can petition the court to have it set aside, normally within stringent time limits. We evaluate whether your situation qualifies and draft the application for you.
Having a judgment removed from your file helps to boost your credit score and your ability to get money because it removes a major black mark against you. While we cannot guarantee an exact amount of points added due to your score being based on all of your records, lenders treat a clear file quite differently from one carrying a judgment.
You can dispute your listing either with the credit reporting agency or the creditor yourself, but you can also contact a free financial counsellor from the National Debt Helpline. Disputing and filling out the necessary court papers is not an easy task for many individuals to handle on their own. We will do this work for you on no-win, no-success-fee terms.