βοΈ Post-Judgment Interest Calculator
The meter starts running the day judgment enters.
Accrued post-judgment interest
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Post-judgment interest accrues on unpaid court awards from the judgment date, usually at simple interest. On a $250,000 judgment at 4.5 percent from January 15, 2025 to October 16, 2026 (640 days), the interest is $19,726.03 and the total due is $269,726.03. Delay pays the winner: every month of stalling adds about $938.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the judgment amount, the applicable annual rate, and the judgment and payment dates. The calculator accrues simple interest day by day and shows the daily burn rate plus the total due.
Enter the judgment principal and the rate: the federal rate (weekly T-bill based) or your state's statutory rate.
Set judgment date to payment date. Partial payments complicate the math; apply them to interest first per most rules.
Read total due. For pre-judgment interest questions, consult counsel: the rules differ sharply.
The Post-Judgment Interest Formula
Federal post-judgment interest uses the Treasury yield from the week before judgment, compounded annually, which this calculator simplifies to simple accrual for estimation. State rates vary wildly: some states use a fixed 10 percent, others float with prime. Always confirm which rate your judgment specifies.
Worked Example
$250,000 judgment, 4.5 percent, January 15, 2025 to October 16, 2026: 640 days. Interest = 250,000 x 0.045 x (640/365) = $19,726.03. Daily accrual: $30.82. Total due: $269,726.03. A one-year appeal delay at this rate costs the debtor about $11,250 in interest alone.
Reading Your Result
The daily interest figure is the negotiation lever: it prices delay for both sides. Debtors appealing should weigh accruing interest against the appeal's odds; creditors should know exactly what patience earns. Interest typically runs during appeals unless a stay with bond terms says otherwise.
My rule: this calculator estimates; the judgment controls. Read the actual judgment for the rate, the accrual start date (sometimes the verdict date, not entry), and whether interest compounds. Partial payments, tolling agreements, and bankruptcy stays all bend the simple math. For anything beyond a rough number, run the dates past the attorney who won the judgment. This is a planning estimate, not legal advice, and certainly not a substitute for counsel.
The daily accrual number is the most useful figure on this page for negotiations. When both sides can see that delay costs $30.82 a day, settlement talks get concrete: every month of posturing has a price tag. Plaintiffs' lawyers quote it in demand letters; defense lawyers use it to justify recommending settlement to clients. Interest turns time from an abstraction into a line item.
Do not confuse post-judgment interest with pre-judgment interest, which many states allow from the date of injury or breach. A case that took three years to reach judgment may carry three years of pre-judgment interest plus post-judgment interest from entry forward. Together they can add 20 percent or more to an award, which is why defendants with weak cases settle early and plaintiffs with strong ones can afford patience.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is post-judgment interest?
Interest that accrues on a money judgment from the date it is entered until it is paid. It compensates the winner for the time value of money during collection or appeal and is usually simple interest at a statutory rate.
What is the federal post-judgment interest rate?
Under 28 USC 1961, the weekly average 1-year constant maturity Treasury yield for the week before judgment, compounded annually. It floats with markets; the Federal Reserve publishes the historical rates. The rate resets weekly with Treasury auctions: long cases accrue at blended rates.
How is post-judgment interest calculated?
Generally: principal x annual rate x (days/365), simple interest. Federal law specifies annual compounding, which slightly exceeds simple interest over multi-year periods. State formulas vary. Some states compound annually, others use simple interest: the judgment or statute controls, so read both.
Does interest accrue during an appeal?
Usually yes, unless a court orders otherwise. The accruing interest is part of why appellants post supersedeas bonds: the bond secures the growing total, and the interest prices the delay. Supersedeas bonds typically run 110-125% of the judgment: interest included in the cushion.
What is the difference between pre- and post-judgment interest?
Pre-judgment interest covers the period before judgment (often discretionary, governed by state law and the claim type). Post-judgment interest runs from judgment to payment at the statutory rate. They stack. Pre-judgment interest is often discretionary: judges award it to make plaintiffs whole.
Do partial payments reduce the interest?
Typically payments apply to accrued interest first, then principal (the 'US rule'), which slows principal reduction. Some jurisdictions differ, so confirm the allocation rule that governs your judgment. The US rule protects creditors: interest first means the principal shrinks slowest.
Can post-judgment interest be waived?
Parties can agree to waive or compromise it in settlement, and settlements routinely do. Courts can also adjust it in limited circumstances, but the statutory default runs automatically. Mediation settlements almost always compromise interest: it is the easiest give in the negotiation.
What if the debtor files bankruptcy?
The automatic stay generally halts collection and interest accrual dynamics change: unsecured post-petition interest usually stops accruing. Judgment creditors become bankruptcy claimants with new rules. Secured creditors may accrue post-petition interest from their collateral cushion: unsecured ones generally cannot, which reshapes every bankruptcy negotiation.
How do I find my state's judgment rate?
State statutes set it: some fixed (e.g., 10% in several states), some tied to prime or T-bills, some set by the state treasurer. Search '[your state] post judgment interest rate statute' or ask the court clerk. Federal courts apply the T-bill rate uniformly: state courts are the patchwork.
Is post-judgment interest taxable?
Generally yes: interest received is taxable income to the creditor (reported as interest income), while the underlying award's tax treatment depends on the claim type. Consult a tax professional for the specifics. Structured settlements spread the tax hit: lump-sum interest bunches it into one year.