What does civil judgment mean?

According to USLegal, a civil judgment is the final decision made by a court in a civil matter. Civil judgments can reward or deny the plaintiff civil remedies, like monetary damages or injunctions. Unlike criminal judgments, civil judgments do not impose criminal sentences on the defendant.

USLegal notes that after a court issues a civil judgment, the legal dispute usually ends, and the involved parties are required to abide by the terms of the court's decision. However, both the plaintiff and the defendant may choose to appeal a civil judgment if it is unfavorable or if a legal error has occurred. Federal and most state laws only allow an appeal if the trial ends in a final judgement.