Order to obtain information

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An order to obtain information is not a form of enforcement which will get you your money. But it is a way of getting information from the defendant (called the 'judgment debtor' when you use this procedure: you become the 'judgment creditor') which will help you decide whether it is:

• worthwhile taking an enforcement step; and if so,
• which of the methods available is most likely to get you your money.

If you use this procedure, the judgment debtor will be ordered to come to the court to be questioned, on oath, by a court officer. The sort of information you will receive from the questioning includes:

• employment status;
• if appropriate, details of employer and wages or salary;
• details of dependents and outgoings paid from income;
• details of any additional income;
• details of any property owned (house, car, caravan, etc.), which may have a saleable value;
• details of any bank or building society accounts and the balances in them.

The questions the court officer will ask the judgment debtor are set out in Form EX140 (Record of examination), a copy of which you can also obtain from the court.