Opinion ID: 2550334
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: failure to calculate prejudgment interest

Text: ¶ 13 The Court of Civil Appeals found error in the trial court's failure to calculate prejudgment interest. Because prejudgment interest is an item of damages and an integral part of the total adjudged liability, the amount of prejudgment interest must be included in a judgment. May-Li Barki, M.D., Inc. v. Liberty Bank & Trust, Co., 1999 OK 87, supp. opinion ¶ 4, 20 P.3d 135, 142-43. Postjudgment interest is a continuing obligation that runs at the statutory rate from the date of judgment until paid,  and, unlike prejudgment interest, need not be reduced to a lump sum and included in a judgment. Id. A court-ordered child support payment becomes a judgment by operation of law on the date that it becomes past due. 43 O.S.2001, § 137(A). A court may later enter an order reducing the judgment to writing, but all interest is postjudgment interest which begins to accrue immediately upon the payment becoming delinquent. Id. § 114. Thus, there is no prejudgment interest on delinquent child support payments. We do not find error in the trial court's order omitting a lump-sum amount of postjudgment or prejudgment interest. See May-Li Barki, M.D., Inc., 1999 OK 87, 20 P.3d 135, supp. opinion ¶ 4, 20 P.3d at 142-43.