Once all documents and all testimony have been submitted, the Court will state that the case is “submitted”. The Court will provide a judgment orally after the trial or you will receive a written decision in the mail.

Once both parties have presented their case, the Court will prepare and file a written decision. The Clerk will notify each party of the Court’s judgment.  

What happens if I win? 

The winning party becomes the judgment creditor.  The losing party becomes the judgment debtor. If the judgment debtor does not voluntarily pay after judgment, the creditor may choose to try different collection methods. 

Collection proceedings may take a great deal of time and they are more expensive than the filing fee for a Small Claims Complaint form. Creditors should consider a range of options to collect the debt.  It may be helpful to speak with a lawyer about these options.

What if I disagree with the decision?

Any party may appeal the judge’s decision. This means that the case and the judgment will be reviewed by a higher court.  By law, a party has thirty (30) days from the date of the final judgment of a Civil court case to file an appeal with the Eighth District Court of Appeals.

To file an appeal, it is not enough to disagree with the judgment. You will need to provide good reasons why you disagree with the decision. Learn more from the Frequently Asked Questions about appeals to the Cuyahoga County Appeals Court. 

Before filing an appeal, you should talk with a lawyer. Appeals are costly and it takes legal expertise to argue that there has been an error in the application of the law to your case.