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Thought about appearing on a court TV show? Whether you want to get on Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, or Judge Milan, let’s talk about how to submit your case and who gets paid.
So, you have a small claims case, and you love court TV shows.
You’re thinking about submitting your case to your favorite one, but you’re just not sure how to do so, or what the process looks like.
You're probably also wondering: do court shows pay the judgments?
Would you get paid an appearance fee – thereby guaranteeing you would win at least something out of it all? If you lost, would the court show pay the person you lost to, so that you wouldn’t have to worry about all that money you might have to pay out?
I’m going to answer all of those questions, plus more.
Psst: You might be interested to learn about class action lawsuit examples, and how to know if you're eligible for applying to one at any given time.
What Kinds of Cases Court TV Shows Will Take
Court TV shows only accept small claims cases. A small claims case is more informal, where the two litigants (the person who was wronged, and the person who wronged them, allegedly) represent themselves. This means they can present their own evidence, as well as defend themselves against whatever the other party is saying in their civil case.
They also must both agree to be on the show.
Example small cases include:
- Property damage claims
- Home repair or rental damage claims
- Unlawful eviction claims
- Personal injury cases
- etc.
These are real cases.
Of course, anyone who has watched Judge Judy (me! me!) would know – you keep your mouth shut when you’re on Judge Judy and other courtroom TV shows and don’t talk unless you are asked a question directly by the judge.
Cases are settled through arbitration, not litigation. The final decision is then given by the judge, based on what they find to be true. There is no jury.
These are civil cases being taken to the court TV shows – not family law ones, in most cases – and the maximum award amount is $10,000 or less (and, actually, $5,000 or less).
Ahhh, now we’re talking money. So, who exactly pays the winning litigant on TV court shows?
TV Court Shows – Who Pays?
Court reality television shows (aka, court TV) love to arbitrate stereotypical cases to get their paid audience members in an uproar:
- the snot-nosed teenager who takes his friend’s car for a joyride and crashes
- the girlfriend who cheated on her boyfriend and his credit card
- the deadbeat ex who refuses to pay child support and demands a DNA test
- etc.
Even though these people are sometimes portrayed as fools, they might just be smarter than the rest of us. You see, we would like to believe that justice can be done in a succinct half-an-hour segment over lunch.
In actuality, the “bad guy” wins in the end on these shows.
This is because both of the litigants – the “bad guy” and the “good guy” – have been given an all-expense paid trip to the city where the show is being taped, his/her judgment owed will have been paid by the show’s producers, and the decision cannot be overturned in another court by an FBAR lawyer (unless it is dismissed without prejudice).
Heck, the villain even gets an appearance fee for each day he/she is there, meaning even if the case is dismissed no one has left empty-handed.
Actually, appearing on one of these shows is not a bad strategy for attempting to settle legal matters of your own (without coughing up a lot of money).
Think about it: If someone from your past is trying to collect and you think you have a legitimate case against them, then why not put yourself in a situation where you cannot lose? By “cannot lose”, I mean, a situation where you earn an appearance fee, you potentially get a judgment paid to you, and if you have to pay the judgment, you might get it paid for you?
Note: cases can also be dismissed without prejudice, which Judge Judy has done in times past when she’s thought a case was faked in order to receive monetary gain.
Of course, you and your creditor would have to publicly settle your case on national television, take the time to travel, and have your case before an arbitrator instead of a real judge. So the decision to be on one of these TV shows should not be made quickly.
Let’s look at each of the individual court TV shows out there.
Who Pays on Hot Bench
Guess who created this show? Judge Judy.
If you look in the small print at the end of each episode of Hot Bench, you’ll see the disclosure about payment. It says,
“Monetary awards are paid from a fund maintained by the producer.”
It was also reported in Forbes that each person receives a “small” appearance fee.
The three judges are: Judge Rachel Juarez, Judge Michael Corriero, and Judge Yodit Tewolde.
You can submit your small claim case here.
Who Pays on Judge Judy
Note: the show Judge Judy stopped taping new shows as of July 23, 2021.
A claim can be made for up to $5,000, and the award for each judgment on Judge Judy is paid by the producers.
On top of this, both the plaintiff and the defendant receive an appearance fee that has reportedly ranged between $100-$500. A daily wage of $35 per litigant is paid, as well as airfare and hotel expenses for the duration of the show’s taping for that particular week (typically 2-3 days).
Does People’s Court Pay the Judgements?
Claims in People’s Court can be up to $5,000, and people are paid $250 for their appearance.
The end of the show has the following disclaimer:
“Both the plaintiff and the defendant have been paid from a fund for their appearance. The amount, if any, awarded in the case, is deducted from this fund, and the remainder is divided equally between both litigants. The amount of the fund is dependent on the size of the judgment.”
So, it looks like the pay varies, though I could not find any information on the maximum and minimum amounts that can be earned.
How Much Does Judge Mathis Pay?
Update: This Daytime Emmy award-winning show is no longer taking new cases.
Though I haven’t found a solid source, it is rumored that the Judge Mathis show will pay $200 to each litigant, hotel, and food costs, as well as the settlement owed.
In the credits is the following statement:
“Monetary awards are paid from a fund maintained by the producer.”
Judge Shows – Court TV Shows List
First of all, what are the different judge shows out there (both old and ones that are still seeing fresh cases)?
Judge Show #1: The Judge Judy Show (Judge Judith Sheindlin)
Note: the show Judge Judy stopped taping new shows as of July 23, 2021. HOWEVER, she has a new show that streams on Freevee called Judy Justice. You can submit your case here.
Judge Sheindlin retired from the bench (New York's Family Court) in 1996 after a 24-year stint prosecuting juvenile delinquency cases. During her career, she was also the Supervising Judge in Manhattan and has heard more than 20,000 cases.
The show Judge Judy taped at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. (the show sometimes does taping in the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York). While some audience members who appeared in her show were legitimate people who asked the producer for tickets, most audience members were extras (aspiring actors).
Judge Show #2: The People’s Court (Judge Marilyn Milian)
Note: The People's Court stopped airing in 2023. You can find Judge Marilyn Milian on her brand new show: Justice For the People Court TV show.
Judge Marilyn Milian is the first Latina Judge to host a nationally syndicated television court show. Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Milian to the Miami Circuit Court in 1999, where she served in the Criminal Division. Between 1984 and 1994 she served as an Assistant State Attorney for Dade County.
Where was the People’s Court filmed? In Stamford, Connecticut. Click here to watch People’s Court online.
Judge Show #3: Judge Joe Brown
From 1990 to April 2000, Brown served as a judge of the Shelby County Criminal Courts in Memphis, Tennessee. He eventually became director of the City of Memphis Public Defender's Office.
The Judge Joe Brown show is taped at Sunset Bronson Studios in Los Angeles, California (right next to Judge Judy’s studio!).
Judge Show #4: Judge Greg Mathis
Note: his show Judge Mathis was canceled in 2023. However, you can find him in his new show, Mathis Court With Judge Mathis.
After graduating from college in 1983, Judge Mathis joined the staff of Detroit City Councilman Clyde Cleveland and continued to work as an advocate for equal justice with Reverend Jesse Jackson’s PUSH Excel.
Judge Show #5: Hot Bench
Hot Bench was actually created by Judge Judy. In this show, instead of just one judge deciding the case, there is a panel of three different judges. The original three panel of judges included Michael Corriero, Tanya Acker, and Patricia DiMango.
Judge Show #6: Judge Faith
Judge Faith made her national debut in 2014 – the producer for this show, Kathy Sapp, was also the producer for the longtime-running Judge Alex show.
Judge Faith is an active attorney, used to be a Wall Street litigator and a criminal prosecutor in Manhattan, and has extensive knowledge of white-collar criminal cases.
It’s time to discuss which shows pay the judgment, which shows pay an appearance fee, and which shows pay both.
Judge Show #7: Cutlers Court
Couple Judge Dana Cutler and Judge Keith Cutler help arbitrate small claim cases that are relationship-oriented (like paternity tests, cheating, money issues, etc.).
TV Court Shows Payment - Info You Need to Know
This is a personal finance blog, so it would be weird to not include a word of caution about any appearance fee or judgments you are awarded on one of the court TV shows.
There are two different types of money you might walk away from after being on a court TV show.
- Paid travel costs + Appearance Fee
- Judgement Money
The IRS taxes all income you receive, so your appearance fee and paid travel costs will likely incur income taxes.
As far as whether or not any judgment money you win (or that is paid out on your behalf) is taxable, you’ll want to refer to this article.
How Do You Get Your Case Heard on a Court TV Show?
Here are the steps to get your case heard on one of these shows:
- File a Small Claims case. Here’s more info on how long you have to file your claim, based on what type of grievance you have (such as breach of written contract versus breach of oral contract).
- Submit your case to the show you want, or have your case picked up by the show’s producers (they scour the small claims cases in court to find ones of interest). By the way, if they happen to choose YOU, you’ll receive a letter in the mail.
- Get both you and the Defendant (the person you’re suing) to agree to be on the national show.
- Each of you must sign a waiver and agree that arbitration in the court is final, and will not be pursued elsewhere (unless the Judge dismisses the case without prejudice).
How to Submit Your Case to Each Court TV Show
There are actually two ways to get your case shown on a Court TV show:
- Producers Find You: Producers of these shows search publicly filed small claims cases (hint: all filed small claims are public information), and may contact you directly.
- You submit your case
Brave enough to submit your small claims case to one of your favorite court TV shows?
I’ll give you the direct links below to the online applications. But first, note that you’ll need some information.
And the more specific the information? The better.
Information includes (each application is a little different, but this is good info to have for any of them):
- The amount you’re suing for.
- The docket number to your case (if you’ve already submitted your small claims case to a court).
- Whether or not there’s a counterclaim.
- Defendant’s name/phone number/occupation (this is the person you’re suing).
- A short summary of your case.
- A photo of yourself.
Here’s how to do it:
- Submit my case to Cutlers Court
- Submit my case to Judy Justice
- Submit my case to Hot Bench
- Submit my case to Judge Faith
- Submit my case to the Paternity Court
Cartoon courtesy of Cartoon Resource.
Amanda L. Grossman is a writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient, and founder of Frugal Confessions. Over the last 17 years, her money work has helped people with how to save money and how to manage money.
She's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, LifeHacker, Real Simple Magazine, Woman's World, Woman's Day, ABC 13 Houston, Keybank, and more. Read more here or on LinkedIn.
Of the day time Judges I watch I think HOT BENCH is the fairest and most impartial. I like that there is the range of sex,age ,experience and race. I think that Aker is the weakest link in the trio but she is no dumb bell either. Bachman has little patience for fools and lists but is absolutely balanced with his impartial interpretation of the law. When the three disagree is the high point of the discussion in back bench.
The cases that anger me are when it is obvious that the folks are there with a fraudulent claim just scamming the entertainment system. Moms suing kids for baby sitting etc all. I am also astounded at the number of dog attack cases. Why don't folks realize that they are responsible for their dogs actions?
I think, it is alright on hot bench, Judge Judy the rest talk to much! I would not do it myself, but for a lot of shows a free vacation, getting paid, I guess making a fool of ones self is to b expected!
These are shows to make money, so base everything on that, its a business.
I do not understand why the people who are ordered to pay get so upset if the show actually picks up the bill and the person doesn't have to pay anything and gets off free. This concept bothers me a lot and I don't know why. I keep coming back to this question to ensure that I understand it correctly. I would think someone is ordered to pay that the court should arrange that the person should make arrangements and be legally responsible. Yet I continue to watch.
I too have wondered why the losers on court show get so upset. I hear them say "you'll never get the money". Huh, I thought the show paid the award. So, whats the beef???
The show awards the winner their money, but still goes after the other person for the debt.
No they don't. That is 100% incorrect. I was on Judge Judy, why do you think the defendants go on. So they don't have to pay if they loose.
Exactly right, Megan. Everyone gets paid and on some shows they have to sign a contract ahead of time to accept the judge's ruling.
@diane, People's Court doesn't pay judgements, only appearance fee of $250.00
Well l appeared on hot bench today. I don't recommend it for anyone. I agreed only who I thought of as a real judge the man Larry. The judge Acker woman was totally in it for show ratings. Not for real law. It was the most awful experience I ever went through. They pay 200 only no per diem. And I was only 50 miles away. You would figure since they saved on airfare etc... it was crazy. The producer wanted me to lie. I refused and I was still slammed by the crazy woman acker. She had the audacity to say I was lying I don't not lie. Especially when there is contempt involved.
Hmm hot bench wants me to be on the show- I'm nervous- I have a strong case but what if they spin it to make me look terrible
Don't go! You are to insecure.
Heather is right. I was on the show, and it's a joke. They don't focus on the case, they focus on the guests and making them look like fools. They will dig up dirt on the guests and allow it to be presented on national TV,and there's nothing you can do about it. If you value your reputation, don't go on the program. As far as 'fairness', the 'judges' have some their sense of fairness for millions of dollars to be on TV. They have to get you on/off stage in 7 minutes and make a decision in 1 minute. They will deny you presenting real evidence and tell you to shut up if you try to introduce any. Is that really how you want your real life case with real money evaluated? Go to small claims court and get a real judge to look at your case.
Hi,
I sued my ex boyfriend on J.Mathis. Sorry to say he was a complete jerk. I won my case but I he did not allow me to submit all my paperwork and I was short about $100. I no longer respect him because he was more concerned about me laughing at his jokes (which weren't funny) then the actual case. I also find it wrong that he is quick to call everyone a crack head that smokes. I have never smoked anything a day in my life but I understand it is a real problem that a lot of people have. So instead of mocking them he should offer them help. Needless to say that I am no longer a fan of the show
have you got the money you won yet if so how long did it take to recieve
I was on the Mathis show, that show doesn’t care about evidence, just who has the funniest stories. My story wasn’t funny and it was hard to make it “funny” I was taken advantage of. Illegal eviction right after I paid rent. I had copies of everything, text messages money orders, everything. He did not look at anything they edit him reading it. They countersued for damages to a car. I have never seen their car, even if I wanted to damage her car I wouldn’t know which one, I had evidence I wasn’t anywhere near her complex. Her evidence was “a neighbor told me they saw him.” He called me a crack head because the defendant said I walked into the appartment like a crab.
I filed in small claims court here in a small town. I notified one of the judges about my case. I'm not in it for the money. I just don't want my case heard in a small town. Wish me luck 😉
I was on judge mathis n i the plantif won it was alright the defendent my ex goes scott free is that wat happend,i thought so
Wow. This makes getting sued sound like a $$ good thing!! 🙂
Seriously thinking about going to people's court against my last employer. Worked for 2 and a half weeks and wasn't paid anything.
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that Justin!
Why go to court? All you have to do is go to your local Wages and Hours dept. and file a claim. I did it and got my money without any hassle and it was just a week's pay!
I recently went on judge mathis....
I was paid $300 plus hotel and $70 meal credit and I didn't even see the judge. Then they sent for me again and received another $250 plus hotel and $70 meal credit. They are also sending me a "outstanding appearance fee"...
So this is post is over a year old but I wanted to say that my small claims case caught the eye of one of the Judge Judy "field researchers" and I received a letter from one of the producers. Just waiting now to see if the defendant in the case is also interested in an all expenses paid mini vacation. I personally think he's too chicken. :o)
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Tami! Let us know how it goes, and what the experience is like (I love Judge Judy:)).
Well done article and very interesting topic. Definitely good information to know.
Thank you Mike! I see you are in PA?
Wow. It's a shame how LITTLE THEY PAY THE LITIGANTS while they are banking millions upon millions. Frankly they take advantage of poor people who would sell their left nut just to get on the tv lol
Oh wow, I had no idea! Crazy!
I have to admit Judge Judy is my favorite! Thanks for providing these resources. Hopefully I'll never have to take someone to small claims court.
You said it! Let's hope none of us end up in small claims court.
And yes...Judge Judy is my favorite as well:).
Judge Judy is a straight bitch. Period. She talks to people like they don't have feelings and they are so beneath her which is sad. You ever seen how much money as in MILLIONS she makes every year by dealing with , frankly, a lot of people that come from and have basically nothing which is a shame. And the fact that she speaks so poorly to most of the litigants I've seen is a darn shame. She should be ashamed of herself and one day she will stand before God( as will we all) and have to stand in judgement for her words and deeds before the ultimate authority and Judge. If she hasn't accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior I guess we will see how she likes it.
Um, she's Jewish so I don't think she'll be accepting Jesus as her lord and savior!
There's always a chance that she can be saved!
Judge Judy is what we need more if in this country. We baby criminals are we're afraid of offending anyone, even when they are wrong. Jesus himself got angry and did not baby people who did wrong and didn't care about doing wrong. Go Judge Judy!!!!
This is small claims court not criminal court!!!!
I thought my God loved unconditionally
piss off with your bloody accepting Jesus crap Judge Judy makes millions for being a bitch its called acting she is in fact a lovely woman off air if she sat on the bench being sweet and lovely to everyone no one would watch the show
John 6: 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me has everlasting life.
I would never go in front of Judge Judy! When people live places and it gets bad, I have heard her say just move out, but it is not that easy. You have to have the funds to move... I personally did what she said and stayed in a homeless shelter with my 1 year old until I could afford a place of my own, it was not fun. Plus she completely disregards verbal agreements. I personally have a close friend that I lent $1000.00 to and didn't get it in writing because I had known the guy for over 25 years. I never thought he would not pay me back. There would be no way I could take my case in front of her...
May I ask if you ever got your money back? And I know that's right woman haha because she is the LAST FEMALE on earth I'd ever want to deal with let alone be in her court cause she talks to people like they are all so beneath her rich stuck up self. She is a straight bag of a bitch and excuse me cause I don't use that word lightly but she is the DEFINITION OF A BITCH. I can't stand how she treats people that frankly most have and come from little to nothing and the way she belittles litigants makes me sick. I can't even watch her because honestly I refuse to help her get ratings and assist her in making even more money. Check out how much this "judge" makes on a yearly basis. It's RIDICULOUS. Anyway I'm sorry your friend didn't honor his commitment but it's an expensive lesson you had to learn. Ashamed how people throw away wonderful life long relationships over $1,000. Money really does change a lot of people and sadly mostly not for the better. Greed is a 7 deadly sin for a very valid reason I feel. Good luck
Marylin Malian is my favorite. She is fair, repectfull, and funny. I wish this option was avalible when I was younger. Thank you for sharing this information!
Judge Judy, I believe to be a fair and just woman. She only gets angry, when people keep changing the story, or lie. Especially the lieing. And they do this because it is the way they are. If people would be straight up and not lie. Just answer her questions and not go on and on dancing around the answer to her question, or come to court un prepared with no evidence to back up their accusations. Or they keep talking over her. Or keep talking when she is trying to talk to the other side.Then yes she gets angry. And they deserve everything she dishes out. And God has nothing to do with it. I know many Christians whom go to church regulary and do drugs, or are alcoholics and beat their wives. Or steal from other people or stores even though some make a lot of money . Or as in my case, get beat and sexually abused by my Christian father. And when I told my mother whom is also Christian,she said that I was a selfish lieing little bitch whom hated to see her happy. So as you see her beliefs in god, or whatever she believes in have nothing and mean nothing when she deals with people on her show. No matter what a persons beliefs everyone has good and bad in them and it is up to them what one they let have control, including all those who believe in god.
Judge Judy can't wrap her mind around why people are NOT able to just move out because she is rich she doesn't understand it takes a couple of thousand dollars to just up and move out!! And the fact that you are probably forfeiting about $1200 in deposit money that you will NEVER see again.. She said she used to be a landlord could you imagine renting from that woman!!!
Ha ha ha she will start yelling Squaters! Squaters! With that damn accent!!! Cracks me up!!!
I love em all lol