An abstract of judgment is a written summary of a court’s judgment (final decision made by the judge or jury) that reflects how much the party who lost a lawsuit (the judgment debtor) owes the party who won the lawsuit (the judgment creditor)—including the rate of interest owed on the amount of the judgment until it is paid, the amount of court costs, and possibly the amount of the judgment creditor’s attorney fees the judgment debtor must pay as part of the judgment.

An abstract of judgment is usually filed in the county records and serves as notice of a lien or claim on any real estate (real property) owned or acquired by the judgment debtor in that county. If the judgment debtor does not pay the judgment, the judgment creditor may be able to force a sheriff’s sale of any real property in the county owned by the judgment debtor, with some or all of the proceeds of the sale being used to pay the judgment.

In West Virginia, an abstract of judgment is a condensed version of a court's final decision, which outlines the amount owed by the losing party (judgment debtor) to the winning party (judgment creditor). This document includes details such as the interest rate on the judgment amount, court costs, and potentially the attorney fees that the judgment debtor is required to pay. Once filed in the county records, the abstract of judgment acts as a public notice that creates a lien on any real property owned or subsequently acquired by the judgment debtor within that county. If the judgment debtor fails to satisfy the judgment, the judgment creditor may initiate a legal process to force the sale of the debtor's real property through a sheriff's sale. The proceeds from such a sale may be used to pay off the judgment, either partially or in full, depending on the amount recovered and the priority of the lien.