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Texas Debt Law

Garnishment, liens and protected property

What is an abstract of judgment?

Short answer

A summary of a judgment recorded in county property records. It creates a lien on the debtor's non-exempt real estate in that county for 10 years, unless the judgment becomes dormant first. It doesn't attach to a homestead.

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Updated November 2026. General information about Texas law, not legal advice for your case. Laws and court rules change; we review these answers regularly.

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