Remove Court Judgement From Credit File Australia

Quick Answer: A court judgement can be removed from your Australian credit file (including Equifax) when it was listed in error, relates to a debt you successfully disputed or had set aside in court, was entered without proper notice to you, is a duplicate listing, has exceeded its 5-year retention period under the Privacy Act 1988, or was the result of identity fraud. Australian Credit Solutions (ASIC ACL 532003) is lawyer-led and has a 98% success rate on accepted cases — No Win No Fee.

A court judgement on your credit file is one of the most damaging entries possible. It signals to every lender that a creditor took you to court and won — and that's the narrative sitting on your file for up to 5 years, blocking loans, rentals, phone plans, and business finance.

But court judgements aren't always final. As a law firm-operated credit repair service, we dispute judgements that were listed incorrectly or unlawfully — and we win.

What Is a Court Judgement on Your Credit File?

A credit file court judgement (also called a civil court judgement or CCJ in some jurisdictions) is a formal record that a court has ruled against you in relation to an unpaid debt. In Australia, this might come from:

• A Local Court or Magistrates Court civil claim by a creditor
• An AFCA determination
• A Tribunal order (e.g., VCAT in Victoria, NCAT in NSW, QCAT in Queensland)
• Debt enforcement proceedings

Once a judgement is recorded in the court system, the credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, or Illion) is notified and lists it on your credit file. The listing stays for 5 years from the date of judgement under the Privacy Act 1988.

The impact on your score is severe — comparable to a large default. Most mainstream lenders will automatically decline any application when a court judgement is present on the file.

When Can a Court Judgement Be Removed From Your Credit File?

There are specific legal grounds under which a court judgement can be challenged and removed from your credit file before the 5-year period ends:

1. The Judgement Was Entered in Default (Without Your Knowledge)

This is the most common ground. If you didn't receive notice of the court proceedings — because the documents were served at an old address, to a previous employer, or not served at all — you may have had a judgement entered without ever having the opportunity to defend the claim.

Under Australian civil procedure, a judgement entered in this way can often be set aside by application to the relevant court. Once the judgement is set aside (vacated), the credit file entry must be removed.

2. The Underlying Debt Was Disputed or Already Paid

If the debt that formed the basis of the judgement was already paid before proceedings were issued, or was genuinely disputed and the creditor issued proceedings anyway, those are grounds to apply to set aside the judgement and remove the credit file entry.

3. The Listing Is Inaccurate

If the amount listed doesn't match the court order, if the date is wrong, or if the creditor name is incorrect, the credit bureau is required to correct the listing — and in some cases this results in full removal.

4. Identity Fraud

If the debt and resulting judgement relate to an account opened in your name without your consent, the judgement can be challenged and the listing removed.

5. Duplicate Listing

If the same judgement appears multiple times across one or more bureaus, duplicates must be removed.

6. Expired Retention Period

Court judgements must be removed after 5 years. If yours has passed this date and is still appearing, the bureau must remove it on request.

The Equifax Court Judgement Removal Process

Equifax (the most widely used bureau for court judgement data in Australia) has a formal dispute process:

1. Obtain a copy of your Equifax credit report — free at equifax.com.au
2. Identify the judgement listing — note the date, creditor, court, amount
3. Establish grounds — determine which of the grounds above applies to your situation
4. Gather evidence — court documents, correspondence, proof of payment, change of address records
5. Lodge a formal dispute — to Equifax directly, and separately to the creditor if the grounds relate to the underlying debt
6. Follow up and escalate — Equifax has 30 days to respond; escalate to AFCA if unresolved

This process is complex — especially when it involves applying to have a court judgement set aside, which requires separate court proceedings. This is where professional legal support makes a material difference.

Case Study: Sandra, Gold Coast — Court Judgement Set Aside, Home Loan Approved

Sandra, 36, a hospitality manager from Southport, had a $4,800 Suncorp credit card judgement on her Equifax file from 2022. She'd been living at a different address when the court documents were served — she never received them and had no idea proceedings had been issued.

The judgement was entered in default. She'd continued making partial payments on the account even after the judgement was entered, but the listing remained.

Australian Credit Solutions reviewed the case. The court documents had been served at Sandra's previous address — a rental property she'd vacated 8 months earlier. Suncorp's own records showed her current address had been updated with them.

We assisted Sandra in making an application to set the default judgement aside in the relevant court. The judgement was set aside. The Equifax listing was removed. Her score moved from 467 to 681.

Home loan pre-approval: approved.

Get a free assessment from Australian Credit Solutions →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a court judgement be removed from my credit file in Australia? Yes — in specific circumstances. Grounds include: the judgement was entered without proper notice to you, the underlying debt was already paid or genuinely disputed, the listing is inaccurate, it relates to identity fraud, it appears as a duplicate, or the 5-year retention period has expired. Australian Credit Solutions (ASIC ACL 532003) assesses these grounds for free.

How long does a court judgement stay on your Equifax credit file? Under the Privacy Act 1988, court judgements remain on Australian credit files for 5 years from the date of judgement. After 5 years, they must be removed. If the judgement is set aside by the court, the credit file entry must also be removed.

How do I remove a court judgement from Equifax? Lodge a formal dispute with Equifax via their online dispute portal or in writing. Include evidence supporting your grounds for removal (court documents, correspondence, payment records). Equifax has 30 days to investigate and respond. If unresolved, escalate to AFCA. For complex cases, a licensed credit repair firm with legal qualifications can manage the process professionally.

Can paying a court judgement remove it from my credit file? No — paying the debt after a judgement is entered does not remove the credit file listing. The listing stays for 5 years regardless of payment, unless the judgement itself is set aside by the court or the listing meets specific grounds for removal.

What happens to my credit score with a court judgement? A court judgement typically drops your Equifax credit score by 100–200 points, placing most people in the Below Average band (under 459). This triggers automatic declines at most mainstream lenders for the duration of the listing.

How much does it cost to remove a court judgement from my credit file? Australian Credit Solutions operates on No Win No Fee. A modest administration fee covers the file assessment and review. The success component is only charged if the listing is removed. Court proceedings to set aside a judgement may involve separate court filing fees — we will advise on these during the free assessment.

A Court Judgement Doesn't Have to Stay

If you've been stuck with a court judgement on your credit file — especially one entered in your absence — let our legal team review whether it can be removed.

Why Australians Trust Australian Credit Solutions

Australian Credit Solutions is lawyer-led, ASIC-licensed (ACL 532003), and has operated since 2014. We've helped over 5,000 Australians remove negative credit file entries and access the finance they deserve. Our 98% success rate on accepted cases reflects a simple approach: we only accept cases where we've identified genuine legal grounds. Every case is managed under the supervision of Principal Solicitor Elisa Rothschild BA/LLB (Monash University) — a lawyer, not a call centre. We operate on No Win No Fee: you pay the success component only when we remove an entry from your file. We've won the Industry Excellence Award three consecutive years — 2022, 2023 and 2024. Our 4.9/5 rating from 976+ verified reviews reflects what real clients experience.

All disputes are conducted under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Credit Reporting Code — the laws that govern your rights and creditors' obligations.

Get My Free Assessment → 📞 0489 265 737 🛡️ ASIC Licensed ACL 532003 | ⭐ 4.9/5 from 976+ Reviews | 🏆 Award Winner 2022–2024

Australian Credit Solutions Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence ACL 532003. Credit repair services are subject to individual assessment. Results may vary. This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.

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