No. Illinois has no debtor's prison, so you can't be jailed just for owing money, losing a debt lawsuit, or having a judgment entered against you.
The only way a debt case can lead to jail is if you disobey a court order — most often by skipping a required court date.
You won't go to jail for having a debt
You cannot be put in jail for:
- Not paying your bills,
- Losing a debt collection case, or
- Having a judgment entered against you in a debt collection case.
You could go to jail for missing required court hearings
For consumer debts, you only face jail if you disobey a court order, such as an order requiring you to appear at a court hearing. These required court dates usually happen only after the debt collector sues you and wins. You'll be told about them in papers called a Citation to Discover Assets or a Rule to Show Cause. They usually say that you "must appear" in court.
If you miss a required court hearing, the judge could issues a body attachment — an order for your arrest.
What is a body attachment?
A body attachment is a court order for your arrest used to make yr in court, not a punishment for the debt itself. Going to your hearings is how you avoid it.
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