Rule 13.240.Judgment on Award
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 13.240
Plain-English Summary
An award is not a judgment. This rule is the bridge between them. If no request for trial de novo is filed within the time ORS 36.425(3) establishes, a judgment based on the arbitration decision and award is prepared and submitted to the court for entry.
The rule does not say who prepares the judgment, so that is a matter of local practice. Ask the trial court administrator, and check whether your judicial district has a supplementary local rule or a standard form for it. Do not assume the court will generate the document on its own.
Entry is what matters in the end. Until the court enters a judgment, there is nothing to enforce, nothing to record, and nothing for a later collection effort to attach. The chapter's filing rule also tells the parties to keep their returned exhibits until a final judgment is entered, which is another reason to see the case through to entry rather than treating the award as the finish line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the arbitration award automatically a judgment?
No. The award has to be turned into a judgment, prepared based on the arbitration decision and award and submitted to the court to be entered.
What happens if nobody challenges the award?
Once the time for requesting a trial de novo passes without a request, a judgment based on the decision and award is prepared and submitted for entry. That judgment is the enforceable end of the case.
How long is the window before a judgment can be entered?
The rule points to ORS 36.425(3) for the deadline rather than setting its own. Read that statute for the period and for the event it runs from.
Who prepares the judgment document?
The rule does not assign that task. It says only that a judgment shall be prepared based on the arbitration decision and award and submitted to the court to be entered, and it points to ORS 36.425(3), so read that statute. Check with the trial court administrator or your district's supplementary local rules.
What if someone does request a trial de novo?
Then this rule does not operate. The case goes forward to a new trial in the circuit court, and the chapter's other rules govern the request and what happens to the award in the meantime.