Question: do you have to pay to be on judge judy

Answer: No, Both the plaintiff(s) and the defendant(s) also receive an appearance fee. The appearance fee amount has varied as between different litigants of the show: certain litigants have reported receiving a $500 appearance fee while others have reported receiving $100, and others $250. In addition to the appearance fee amount, litigants are paid $35 a day by the show. The litigants' stay lasts for the number of days that the show does taping for that week, which is two or three days. In addition, the airfare (or other means of travel) and hotel expenses of the litigants and their witnesses are covered by the show, and the experience is generally treated as an all-expense-paid vacation outside of the actual court case. If there is an exchange of property, Sheindlin signs an order, and a sheriff or marshal oversees the exchange. Sheindlin sees only a half-page complaint and a defense response prior to the taping of the cases, sometimes only moments before. Most of the cases, not including any footage deleted to meet the time constraints of the show, usually last anywhere from twelve to forty-five minutes.