Difference Between the Date of Signed Order and Rendered Order
Is a court order important?
The easy answer is yes. The follow up question is “When does the court order take effect?
There are three dates to keep in mind: the date of your hearing, the date Judge signed your Order, and the date the clerk entered your document into the court system.
What does ‘rendered’ means? It means the date the document “became official.”
However, this does not mean a document is not legally binding or enforceable. Remember the three dates I told you to keep in mind? Here is the breakdown:
The date of your hearing: date of trial or ruling. Also, this could be the date YOU signed a document. So, if the parties signed a document (for example, an informal settlement agreement), then it becomes a legally binding contract.
The date the judge signs the Order is also important. This is the date when the Judge gave you permission to enforce the document. The judge’s signature on the document gives you authority to bring the case back to court within the time allowed by law. You may challenge it, enforce it, or even ask the Court to dismiss a ruling.
When is the judgment ‘rendered’?
The goal is to make sure the document is part of the record of your case. Only the clerk of court or court staff can do this!
This act, if omitted or neglected, may affect your appeal.
In Texas, you can appeal a judgment 30 days from the date your Order was rendered. Your appeal will be rejected if it is not timely.
Either way, be mindful of the dates of your Order.
If the Decree or Order requires you to take certain action regarding custody or the division of property, make sure it is specific enough. Also, you can use “from the date this Order is signed by the judge in the stead of rendered — because you really don’t know when the judgment may be rendered.
On that note, there is no rendered order until the clerk stamps and enters it in the record of your case.
Contact us if you need to modify your Decree or Order or if you have any questions.
