Judicial Liens on Home – Can They be Discharged Through Bankruptcy?

For the most part, yes.  Many people who file for bankruptcy have credit card or other monetary judgments against them.  This can occur if lawsuits filed by creditors go ignored by the credit card holder.  Eventually, the credit card company or whoever owns the debt (collection agencies, for example) will try to use the judgment to place a judicial lien on your home.  

Getting rid of the lien at this point takes some work for your bankruptcy attorney.  If you file for bankruptcy after a judicial lien is placed on your home, the equity in your home must be exempt.  For most people who file for bankruptcy, this usually is not an issue because there is no equity in the home anyway.  

The bankruptcy attorney will then file a motion to avoid the judicial lien with the bankruptcy court.  Once the bankruptcy court judge signs off an order, the order can then be given to the clerk of the courts where the judicial liens on the home have taken place in order to lift them.