Funds to pay a judgment or settlement sum, with some lenders settling within 2 business days.
- Some non-bank lenders can settle within 2 business days once the valuation and loan documents are complete
- Loans from $100K to $5M, sized to the figure your lawyer confirms is payable
- Companies, sole traders and directors with a judgment entered against them or a settlement deed to honour
- Covers the judgment amount, interest on it, costs the court has ordered and agreed settlement sums
- Full-doc (tax returns), low-doc or alt-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead) and no-doc options across our 90+ lender panel
The court has entered judgment against your business, or you have agreed a settlement to end a dispute, and the money is due by a set date. Before any loan, speak to your lawyer. They can confirm the exact amount, whether time to pay or instalments are possible, and what the creditor can do next. Where paying in full is the right step and your accountant confirms the business can carry a new repayment, court judgment and settlement finance is a loan, usually secured over property, used to pay the creditor. If the business may not be able to pay its debts as they fall due, speak to a registered insolvency practitioner first. A loan pays the debt. It does not stop enforcement by itself, and it does not resolve any other claim against the business. Joseph Farhat and his team can look at the amount, the security on offer and the due date, and tell you early what is achievable.
Who we can help access finance
- ✓A trading company that lost a contract dispute with a supplier or customer and has been ordered to pay the judgment sum plus costs.
- ✓A builder or contractor who agreed at mediation to pay a fixed amount to end a defects claim, with the payment due within weeks.
- ✓Directors of a company that settled a dispute with a former landlord, where the deed sets a lump sum and a payment date.
- ✓Sole traders with a judgment for a business debt, whose lawyer has confirmed that paying it in full is the next step.
- ✓Businesses that settled a claim with a former business partner and must pay the agreed figure by the date in the consent orders.
- ✓Companies that own premises, a warehouse or an investment property with equity available to borrow against.
- ✓Directors willing to offer their home as security for a company payment, after they have had independent legal advice.
How Court Judgment and Settlement Finance Works
In NSW, a creditor holding a money judgment has several ways to enforce it. These include a writ for the levy of property, which lets the Sheriff take and sell property to pay the debt, a garnishee order, which directs money owed to the debtor to the creditor, and an examination, where the debtor is questioned about their means. A garnishee can reach wages and bank accounts. The creditor can use more than one method at a time and has up to 12 years from judgment to enforce. A judgment does not bind land by itself, but a writ against land binds that land once it is delivered to the Sheriff. Interest runs on an unpaid judgment at a rate set under the court rules and published on the NSW Local Court website. The same rules allow a debtor to apply for time to pay or for payment by instalments. Your lawyer can explain what an instalment order would mean for your business.
An unpaid judgment can also lead further. A creditor owed more than $10,000 by an individual can seek bankruptcy, and a bankruptcy notice gives 21 days. A company can be served a statutory demand for a debt of at least $4,000, with 21 days to pay the debt, give security for it or agree a compromise with the creditor. A negotiated settlement is different again: the amount, the date and what follows a missed payment are set by the deed or consent orders, so your lawyer reads those terms.
Finance pays the amount due. A lender advances funds against property, the creditor is paid, and the business repays the lender over an agreed term. The debt moves to the lender. Property offered as security is at risk if repayments are missed, and a home offered for a business debt calls for independent legal advice before you sign. Joseph Farhat and his team review the sum, the date, the security and the trading position, then match the file to lenders from our panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders that can settle in the time left.
We are a finance broker, not a lawyer, accountant or registered insolvency practitioner. Your lawyer confirms what is owed and whether an alternative to paying in full is open to you. Your accountant confirms whether the business can carry a loan. If the business may not be able to pay its debts as they fall due, a registered insolvency practitioner comes first, before any borrowing.
What Lenders Assess for Court Judgment and Settlement Finance
The order or deed
the judgment or settlement terms, the amount, the date payment is due, and any interest and costs added. Lenders fund a confirmed figure.
Steps already taken
whether a writ, garnishee order, examination, bankruptcy notice or statutory demand has been issued, because each one shortens the time available.
The security
equity in commercial property, an investment property or a home. The loan-to-value ratio (LVR), the loan as a share of the property's value, after any existing mortgage, sets the amount and the price.
Capacity to repay
recent bank statements, BAS and the accountant's view on whether the business can keep trading and meet the new repayment.
Every other creditor
lenders ask for the full list of overdue debts, including any ATO balance, since paying one judgment leaves the others in place.
Who is liable
whether judgment was given against the company, a director personally or both, which shapes who borrows and who signs a guarantee.
The exit
how the loan will be repaid, from trading over a longer term, a later refinance, or a planned property sale.
The Court Judgment and Settlement Finance Process: What to Expect
- 1Take the judgment or settlement terms to your lawyer first. Ask them to confirm the amount payable, the due date, any interest and costs, and whether time to pay or instalments are an option.
- 2Ask your accountant whether the business can carry a new repayment alongside its other debts. If solvency is in doubt, speak to a registered insolvency practitioner before borrowing anything.
- 3Send Joseph Farhat and his team the order or deed, the due date, details of property that could be security, and recent statements. You hear early whether a lender can settle in time.
- 4We put the file to lenders able to value, approve and document the loan before the due date. The approval sets out the rate, fees, term and security, we take you through the total cost, and your lawyer reviews the documents.
- 5At settlement, funds are paid as your lawyer directs. Your lawyer then confirms receipt with the creditor and handles any steps needed to close the matter.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Max LVR | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|
| Bank | Rarely used to pay a judgment on a short deadline. May suit a larger property refinance with more lead time. |
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~9.5% p.a. | Up to 70% | $100K to $3M | 6 months to 5 years | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | From ~1.25% per month | Up to 75% | $100K to $5M | 1 to 24 months | Available for unique scenarios |
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for court judgment and settlement finance
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team act for your business from the day you receive the order or deed through to settlement.
Your lawyer sets the order of steps
funding is timed to the amount and date your lawyer confirms, and never runs ahead of options such as time to pay.
Solvency comes before anything else
where your accountant or an insolvency practitioner has concerns, no new borrowing is put forward.
Plain about what a loan does
it pays the creditor, and the debt then sits with the lender on agreed terms. We make no promise about enforcement.
Lenders picked for the payment date
whether a lender can value and settle before the due date is weighed alongside price.
One conversation, not several applications
each credit enquiry is recorded on your credit file, so the first lender approached needs to be a realistic fit.
90+ lenders on one panel
bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, compared on your property, your deadline and your trading position.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
An honest answer early
give us the date the money is due and we will say plainly what can be done before then.
Frequently asked questions
What is court judgment and settlement finance?
It is a business loan used to pay a sum a court has ordered your business to pay, or a sum agreed in a settlement of a dispute. The loan is usually secured over property, and the business repays the lender over an agreed term. Your lawyer confirms the amount and the date first, and the loan is sized to that figure.
Does paying the judgment stop enforcement?
A loan pays the debt, and that is all it does. Whether a writ, garnishee order or other step is withdrawn, and what the court or the creditor does next, is decided by them, not by the lender. Your lawyer can confirm the payout figure, including interest and costs, arrange payment through the right channel, and ask the creditor to confirm in writing that the judgment is paid. Paying one judgment does not deal with any other creditor or claim. The business then owes the lender under the loan terms.
Can we ask for time to pay instead of borrowing?
Possibly, and it is worth asking your lawyer before any loan. In NSW, the court rules allow a judgment debtor to apply for time to pay or for payment by instalments. Whether that is available to your business, and on what terms, is a legal question. If instalments are not available or do not suit, Joseph Farhat and his team can then look at funding for the amount your lawyer confirms. A settlement sum follows the deed or consent orders, so your lawyer reads those for any flexibility on timing.
What if the business may not be able to pay its debts?
Then a loan is not the first step. Speak to your accountant and a registered insolvency practitioner before borrowing, and they can explain where that leaves the business and you as a director. Borrowing to pay one creditor does not fix a business that cannot meet its debts. We do not judge whether a business is solvent; that is for your accountant or an insolvency practitioner. Where either has doubts, we do not arrange new borrowing.
How quickly can funds be ready?
Some non-bank lenders can settle within 2 business days once the valuation and loan documents are complete. A property-secured loan still needs a valuation, title searches and signed security. The steps with your lawyer and accountant come first or run alongside, so sending us the order or deed early leaves more time for the lender. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you early whether settling before the due date is realistic, so you know where you stand while your lawyer still has time to act.
Will a court judgment show on a credit file?
For individuals, the OAIC says a court judgment stays on a consumer credit report for 5 years. Company credit files kept by commercial bureaus, such as CreditorWatch, list court actions and judgments, and each bureau sets its own retention period. How a paid judgment is recorded is a question for the bureau that holds it. Lenders will see the judgment, so disclose it at the start.
Can the business borrow with low-doc or no-doc paperwork?
Often, where the loan is secured over property with enough equity. Some lenders lean on the security and the exit more than full financials, and no-doc options exist for commercial loans. The trade-off is a higher rate and a lower LVR for less paperwork. Lenders will still ask about the judgment, the other creditors and the exit.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. A judgment, a default or a run of late payments does not rule the business or its directors out, and it is not something we will make you feel awkward about. Your accountant still confirms first that the business can pay its debts as they fall due. Several lenders on our panel weigh the property, the equity and a credible exit more heavily than the credit history, and price for the risk rather than decline it. Telling us early means we approach the right lender first instead of adding enquiries to your file. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly what is achievable before any application goes in.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange your court judgment and settlement finance?
Because a payment date set by a court or a deed calls for one conversation, not a round of applications. The people we help here are company directors, sole traders and business owners with a judgment from a contract dispute, a mediated settlement with a customer or former partner, or a lease claim with a landlord. Some are also dealing with an ATO debt or a statutory demand at the same time. None of that is unusual to us. What lenders look at is a confirmed amount, equity in property, a business that can carry the loan and a clear way to repay. Our panel covers 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, so a well-documented file can go to a bank at a sharper rate where time allows, and there are still options when the date is close. We are based in Sydney and work with businesses Australia-wide. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and early whether a loan can settle before your due date.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with court judgment and settlement finance outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges court judgment and settlement finance Australia-wide, covering both metro and regional areas. We work with clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. The enforcement steps described on this page are under NSW court rules. Each state and territory has its own, so a lawyer in the state where judgment was given is the first call. Joseph Farhat and his team will then look for lenders that can settle against your property in time.
