Post-judgment interest calculator Estimate accrued post-judgment interest on a court award from the judgment amount, annual rate, and days elapsed. Use the rate from the applicable statute or court order, then treat the result as a simple-interest estimate unless the judgment says otherwise.
Post-judgment interest usually runs on the unpaid judgment balance from the judgment date until payment or satisfaction. This page helps you
convert that rule into an estimate of accrued interest and total owed.
Display currency
Total owed
$52,250.00
After 365 days at 4.5% simple annual interest,
the judgment grows by $2,250.00.
Judgment amount
$50,000.00
Accrued interest
$2,250.00
Interest per day
$6.16
Total owed
$52,250.00
How to read this result
The calculator assumes simple interest on the unpaid judgment balance. If a court order uses a different day-count basis, includes partial
payments, or specifies compounding, you should enter the applicable rate and verify the final amount against the judgment or payoff statement.
Post-judgment interest calculator guide: accrued interest, statutory rate, and total owed
A post-judgment interest calculator helps you estimate how much interest a court award may accrue after judgment is entered and before payment is made. It is useful for settlement planning, collections, and payoff checks because even a fixed judgment can grow while the balance remains unpaid.
What post-judgment interest is
Post-judgment interest is interest that accrues on a money judgment after a court enters judgment and before the award is paid or satisfied. Its purpose is to compensate the winning party for the time value of money while the losing party delays payment.
In many cases the interest runs on the unpaid judgment balance from the judgment date forward. That means the amount owed can increase each day until the judgment is paid in full, a settlement is reached, or the court order says interest should stop.
How this calculator works
The calculator uses a simple-interest structure: judgment amount multiplied by annual rate multiplied by elapsed days, divided by 365. That makes it easy to turn a judgment amount, statutory rate, and day count into an accrued-interest estimate and a total payoff figure.
Because the result is based on a fixed annual rate and a day count, it is best for straightforward payoff planning. If your court order uses a different day-count basis, includes partial payments, or specifies compounding, you should use the rate and assumptions from the actual order rather than a generic market rate.
Accrued interest = Judgment amount x Annual rate x Days elapsed / 365
Simple-interest accrual for a judgment balance measured over elapsed days.
Daily interest = Judgment amount x Annual rate / 365
A quick rule-of-thumb for the amount added each day while the judgment remains unpaid.
Total owed = Judgment amount + Accrued interest
The payoff amount after adding the interest that has accrued over the entered time period.
Federal and state rates can differ
The right rate depends on the court and the judgment. Federal civil judgments often use the rate set by 28 U.S.C. 1961, while state judgments may use a state statute, a contract clause, or a court order. That is why this calculator asks you to enter the annual rate instead of assuming one default number.
If the case is already in judgment, the rate should come from the actual legal source that governs the award. In practice, that could mean a federal court rate table, a state court rule, or the specific language in the judgment or settlement order.
Worked example: $50,000 judgment at 4.5% for 365 days
Suppose a judgment is $50,000, the applicable annual post-judgment interest rate is 4.5%, and 365 days have passed since judgment. The daily interest is about $6.16, and the accrued interest over the full year is $2,250.
That produces a total owed amount of $52,250 before any partial payment adjustments, settlements, or satisfaction credits. If the judgment remains unpaid for another month, the total will continue to rise by roughly another $185.48 at the same rate.
This is the core reason judgment interest matters in payoff negotiations: even when the principal number stays fixed, the real amount required to satisfy the judgment can keep moving upward.
What can change the result
Partial payments can reduce the balance on which interest accrues, depending on the order and payment application rules. Compounding can also matter if a specific statute or judgment order requires it, although many post-judgment calculations use simple interest.
The day-count basis can matter too. Some legal calculations use a 365-day year, while others may use another convention or a court-specific instruction. The calculator assumes the common 365-day basis unless the entered rate or order says otherwise.
How to use the result
Use the result when you are checking a settlement demand, verifying a payoff amount, or estimating how much a judgment may have grown since entry. The result can also help you sanity-check opposing counsel's numbers before you agree to payment terms.
If you need a broader interest comparison, pair this page with a simple interest calculator or an interest-rate calculator. Those pages help with general finance problems, while this page is focused on the legal payoff question.
This calculator does not replace a court order, clerk's payoff calculation, or legal advice. It does not inspect the underlying docket, partial satisfaction entries, fee awards, or state-specific quirks that can change the final amount owed.
It also does not determine whether interest should compound, whether a stay or appeal affects accrual, or whether a judgment has been partially satisfied. Those details come from the governing legal documents, not from the calculator alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is post-judgment interest?
Post-judgment interest is interest that accrues on a money judgment after the court enters judgment and before the award is paid or satisfied. It compensates the winner for the time value of money during the delay.
Does post-judgment interest start on the judgment date?
Usually it starts from the date the judgment is entered or from the date specified in the court order or statute. Always check the governing legal source because some cases use specific entry or filing rules.
Is post-judgment interest simple or compound?
It is often calculated as simple interest, but the governing statute or court order controls. If a judgment requires compounding, that instruction should be followed instead of a simple-interest assumption.
How do I find the right post-judgment interest rate?
Use the rate in the applicable statute, court order, or payoff statement. Federal civil judgments often rely on 28 U.S.C. 1961, while state judgments can use a different rule or rate table.
Why does this calculator ask for days elapsed?
Because the interest estimate depends on how long the judgment has been unpaid. More days means more accrued interest, and the result can change from one day to the next until the judgment is satisfied.
What happens if part of the judgment has already been paid?
Partial payments can reduce the balance that interest accrues on, depending on the order and how payments are applied. This calculator does not model payment allocation, so you should use the actual payoff statement for a live case.
What is the difference between prejudgment and post-judgment interest?
Prejudgment interest accrues before the court enters judgment, while post-judgment interest accrues after judgment is entered and before payment is made. They are governed by different rules and may use different rates.
Can post-judgment interest stop before payment?
It can stop if the judgment is satisfied, a settlement is reached, or a court order says otherwise. The precise stop date depends on the legal documents and the payment record.
Is this calculator the same as a debt-interest calculator?
No. It is a legal payoff calculator for court judgments. The maths is simple interest, but the rate and stopping rules come from the judgment or statute rather than a consumer loan agreement.
Should I use this for legal advice?
No. It is an estimate tool, not legal advice. For an actual judgment payoff, confirm the amount with the court, the judgment creditor, or a qualified lawyer.
