Judy Sheindlin made millions from her show — but the litigants and guests also cashed in handsomely

Judy Sheindlin famously known as Judge Judy, made a living out of delivering verdicts that changed lives as well as life lessons. In its 25-year-long run, the show featured thousands of litigants who put their arguments in front of the iconic judge. While some of them got a payout, based on the judgment, all of the guests were paid a fee to appear on the show as well. While the fee seems like pennies compared to the show's lead, it was still decent for a good day's work. 

How Much Were The Litigants Paid?

According to a report from Distractify, the pay for guests varied based on several factors, including how much time they spent on screen. Some litigants received as much as $500 as a regular fee while others received $250 or as low as $100. This was a basic appearance pay that the guests received regardless of what the verdict of Judge Judy Sheindlin awarded them.

While there was a limit of $5,000 on the amount awarded by the judge, the defendants did not have to pay that. While it was made to look like they did, the amount awarded to the plaintiff by the judge was covered by the show. 

Additional Perks for Guests

Apart from the appearance fee, the guests on the show also received $35 for every day they appeared for the taping. Furthermore, the report suggests that the airfare and hotel expenses for their stay were also covered by the show. 

Generally, the litigants stayed in Hollywood, California for two or three days with nearly all of their expenses covered. Furthermore, the spectators in the audience were also paid a minimum wage every day for just showing up with their enthusiasm. 

However, as per The Things, the submission form on Judge Judy's website did not mention any compensation for travel,  accommodations, or stipends. Former guests have suggested on Quora that the terms specified that the defendants may have to cover the attorney's fee depending on the outcome of the case. 

According to Forbes, in the show's heyday, Sheindlin was one of the highest-paid TV celebrities of all time. From 2012 to 2020, she took home about $47 million per year, pretax, from hosting the once top-rated daytime show.

In 2018, Forbes named her as the highest-paid TV host after she sold the rights to Judge Judy's 5,200-episode library, plus future episodes to CBS in 2017. The deal was reportedly worth about a whopping $100 million. Sheindlin did put in the work as well, spending 25 seasons, holding court. The show finally came to an end in 2021.

However, Judge Judy's courtroom days weren't over. In November 2021, Sheindlin launched a new show, "Judy Justice", on Amazon's Freevee (then called IMDb TV), with new episodes airing every weekday.

Apart from that she was also behind the successful series "Hot Bench" in 2014 of which she remains. Sheindlin has created two other shows for Amazon's platform as well.