relationship existing between two persons in which one, the debtor, can be compelled to furnish services, money, or goods to the other, the creditor. This relationship may be created by the failure of the debtor to pay damages to the injured party or to pay a fine to the community; however, the relationship usually implies that the debtor has received something from the creditor, in return for which the debtor has promised to make repayment at a later time.

If the debtor fails to make repayment by the deadline or within a commercially feasible time limit and if routine efforts at debt collection prove fruitless, then an attorney may commence a formal collection process. Sometimes it is possible to attach the debtor's property, wages, or bank account as a means of forcing payments (see garnishment). It is also possible to secure a lien against the debtor's property, which will permit a local official or law-enforcement officer to seize the property, sell it at public auction, and use the proceeds to discharge the debt (see liquidation). Imprisonment of the debtor is a practice no longer followed.

The process of debt collection may be impeded by exemption laws, which provide that certain property of the debtor may not be seized and sold in order to discharge a debt. These exemptions include sums of money, life insurance, and parcels of land.