Stipulated Judgment Law and Legal Definition
A stipulated judgment is an agreement between the parties to a case, which settles the case. Such agreement or settlement becomes a court judgment when the judge sanctions it. It is also know as agreed judgment or consent judgment.
For example, if you and your spouse agree on all the matters about your divorce, you can submit a stipulated judgment to the court. The stipulated judgment must be signed by both you and your spouse, and will list your agreements about the division of property and debts, child and spousal support and child custody and visitation. Once the stipulated judgment is signed by the judge, it becomes the judgment in your case.
The following is an example of a state statute (Arizona) on stipulated judgment:
Ariz. RPEA R. 13 (4). Stipulated judgments: The court may accept a stipulated judgment, but only if the court determines that the conditions of Rule 13(a)(1)-(2) have been satisfied and the form to which the defendant stipulated contains the following warning:
Read carefully! By signing below, you are consenting to the terms of a judgment against you. You may be evicted as a result of this judgment, the judgment may appear on your credit report, and you may NOT stay at the rental property, even if the amount of the judgment is paid in full, without your landlord's express consent.
The amounts awarded in the judgment must be consistent with the amounts sought in the complaint, although the judgment may also include additional rent, late charges, fees and other amounts that have accrued since the filing of the complaint, if appropriate. Notwithstanding Rule 13(c)(2), if all parties or their attorneys personally appear before the court and the addition is reasonable, the court may award an amount for damages or categories of relief not specifically stated in the complaint.
