(A) Entry of judgment. Subject to the provisions of Rule 54(B), upon a verdict of a jury, or upon a decision of the court, the court shall promptly prepare and sign the judgment, and the clerk shall thereupon enter the judgment in the Record of Judgments and Orders and note the entry of the judg- ment in the Chronological Case Summary and Judgment Docket. A judgment shall be set forth on a separate document, except that a judgment may appear upon the same document upon which appears the court’s findings, conclusions, or opinion upon the issues. The entry of the judgment shall not be delayed for the taxing of costs. Attorneys may submit suggested forms of judgment to the court, and upon request of the court, shall assist the court in the preparation of a judgment, but the judgment shall not be delayed to await the resolution of issues by agreement of counsel. The judge failing promptly to cause the judgment to be pre- pared, signed and entered as provided herein may be compelled to do so by mandate.
Rule 58.Entry and content of judgment
Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceTrial Rule 58 governs how a judgment becomes official: the court’s duty to promptly sign it and the clerk’s duty to enter and docket it, the specific content every non-small-claims judgment must include, confidentiality compliance, and the procedure for marking a paid judgment satisfied.
Full Text of Rule 58
(B) Content of judgment. Except in small claims cases, a judgment shall contain the following elements:
(1) A statement of the submission indicating whether the submission was to a jury or to the Court; whether the submission was upon default, motion, cross-claim, counterclaim or third-party complaint; and if the submission was to less than all issues or parties, such other matters as may be necessary to clearly state what issue is resolved or what party is bound by the judgment.
(2) A statement of the appearances at the submission indicating whether the parties appeared in person, by counsel, or both; whether there was a failure to appear after notice; and whether the submission was conducted by telephone conference.
(3) At the court’s discretion and in such detail as it may deem appropriate, a statement of the court’s jurisdiction over the parties and action and of the issues considered in suf- ficient particularity to enable any party affected by the judgment to raise in another action the defenses of merger, bar or claim or issue preclusion.
(4) A statement in imperative form which clearly and concisely sets forth the relief granted, any alteration of status, any right declared, or any act to be done or not done.
(5) The date of the judgment and the signature of the judge.
(C) Court Records Excluded from Public Access and Confidential Pursuant to the Rules on Access to Court Records. Every court that issues a judgment or order containing Court Records excluded from Public Access pursuant to the Rules on Access to Court Records shall comply with the provisions of Rule 7 of the Rules on Access to Court Records.
(D) Satisfaction/Release of Judgment. Upon payment in full of a judgment, including accrued interest and court costs, the judgment creditor shall file a satisfaction/release of judgment and the Clerk shall note the sat- isfaction/release of the judgment on the CCS and on the judgment docket. Based upon a review of the Clerk's payment records, the Clerk may, or at the verified request of the judgment debtor shall, issue a Notice to the judgment creditor that a judgment, includ- ing accrued interest and court costs, has been paid in full and that the judgment should be satisfied/released. The Notice shall be sent to the judgment creditor and debtor at the address shown on the Chronological Case Summary. The Clerk shall note the issuance of the Notice on the Chronological Case Summary. If the judgment creditor does not agree that the judgment should be satisfied/released, the judgment creditor shall, within 30 days of the date of the issuance of the Notice, file a verified objection. If the judgment creditor does not file an objection or a satisfaction/release of judgment, the judgment shall be deemed sat- isfied/released and the Clerk shall note the satisfaction/release of the judgment on the Chro- nological Case Summary and on the Judgment Docket.
Amendment History
This rule’s current text took effect January 1, 2020. For the full history of earlier amendments and adoption orders, see the Indiana Office of Court Services.
Plain-English Summary
Trial Rule 58 covers what happens after a case is decided but before that decision becomes an official judgment. Section A puts the trial court in charge of promptly preparing and signing the judgment once a jury reaches a verdict or the court itself decides the case, subject to Trial Rule 54(B)’s rules on partial judgments. The clerk then enters the judgment in the Record of Judgments and Orders and notes it on the Chronological Case Summary and Judgment Docket. A judgment is ordinarily its own separate document, though it can share a page with the court’s findings, conclusions, or opinion. Entry of the judgment is never delayed for the clerk to finish taxing costs, and while attorneys may submit proposed forms of judgment and assist the court when asked, the judgment itself cannot be held up waiting for opposing counsel to agree on its wording. A judge who does not promptly prepare, sign, and enter a judgment can be compelled to do so by mandate.
Section B lists what a judgment must contain outside small claims cases: a statement of what was submitted and to whom, whether by jury or by the court, and on what kind of claim; a statement of how the parties appeared, including any failure to appear or any hearing conducted by telephone; an imperative statement spelling out the relief granted, any change in status, or any right declared; and the date along with the judge’s signature. The court may also include, at its discretion, a statement about its jurisdiction and the issues it considered, detailed enough to let a party rely on the judgment in a later case to argue merger, bar, or issue preclusion. Section C requires a court issuing a judgment or order containing records excluded from public access to follow the separate procedure the Rules on Access to Court Records set out for those records. And section D governs what happens once a judgment is paid in full, including interest and costs: the judgment creditor is expected to file a satisfaction or release, the clerk can issue a notice prompting that filing (and must do so if the debtor makes a verified request), and if the creditor does not object within thirty days of that notice, the judgment is deemed satisfied and released on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who writes up the judgment after I win my case in Indiana?
The court itself. Trial Rule 58(A) puts the trial court in charge of promptly preparing and signing the judgment. Attorneys may submit suggested forms of judgment and help at the court’s request, but the judgment cannot be held up while counsel work out an agreement on its wording.
What has to be included in an Indiana judgment for it to be valid?
Outside small claims cases, Trial Rule 58(B) requires a statement of what was submitted and to whom — a jury or the court, and on what kind of claim — a statement of who appeared and how, an imperative statement of the relief granted, and the date along with the judge’s signature. The court may also add a statement about its jurisdiction and the issues it considered, in enough detail to support later arguments about preclusion, though that piece is left to the court’s discretion.
Can a judge just refuse to sign a judgment?
Not indefinitely. Trial Rule 58(A) says a judge who fails to promptly prepare, sign, and enter a judgment as the rule requires can be compelled to do so by mandate.
Does entry of judgment have to wait until court costs are calculated?
No. Trial Rule 58(A) specifically says entry of the judgment is not delayed for the taxing of costs, which the clerk handles separately under Trial Rule 54(D).
How do I get a judgment marked as paid or satisfied in Indiana?
Once the judgment, including accrued interest and court costs, is paid in full, Trial Rule 58(D) directs the judgment creditor to file a satisfaction or release of judgment, which the clerk then notes on the case record and judgment docket. If the creditor does not act, the clerk can issue a notice — and must if the judgment debtor makes a verified request — after which the creditor has thirty days to file a verified objection before the judgment is deemed satisfied on its own.
What happens if my case involves confidential court records?
Trial Rule 58(C) requires a court issuing a judgment or order that contains records excluded from public access to follow the separate procedure set out in the Rules on Access to Court Records governing those excluded records.
Does Trial Rule 58’s content checklist apply to small claims judgments?
No. Trial Rule 58(B) says its list of required judgment content does not apply in small claims cases, which follow their own, simpler practice.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure (T.R. 58). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Indiana, under its inherent constitutional rulemaking power (reaffirmed by Ind. Code 34-8-1-1 and 34-8-2-1); originally enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1969. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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