Judgment, Entry Of

JUDGMENT, ENTRY OF - When a court judgment (such as a judgment of divorce or an award after the conclusion of a civil action) is actually written into the official court records by the court clerk, the judgment is 'entered.' The court clerk sends a notice of the entry to each party. The date the judgment is entered can be important. For example, if one party wants to appeal, he usually has ten to 30 days from the date of entry of judgment to file a paper indicating his intent to appeal. Also, some states require an individual to wait a period of time (20 days to 18 months) after the entry of judgment of divorce before remarrying.