attorney has judgment, how can he garnish wages?

by Daphney Ledner Jr. 4 min read

Why do you file a writ of execution?

File a writ of execution to your judgment debtor’s employer in order to garnish your judgment debtor’s wages. A writ of execution is effective and efficient. Settling a court judgment with a writ of execution is highly approved by the courts if your judgment debtor does not meet the payment deadline for your judgment. The court’s understand strenuous circumstances and they understand judgment debtor’s that will never pay no matter what the court’s request. That is why the court’s give you the power to enforce judgment through wage garnishments.

Can a wage garnishment be enforced?

Yes, wage garnishment is a common form of judgment enforcement. Employers are often unaware of the power a writ of execution holds until they are faced with one, and after they have discussed matters with their legal team, will immediately comply with the writ. It is in an employers best interest to allow wage garnishment rather than refuse a court order.

Can you garnish someone's wages?

Garnishing someone’s wages is never a fun thing to do, however, it is necessary when a judgment debtor is avoiding a court ordered judgment. There are people who will ignore debts and lie about them until the day they die, and in these cases, it is best to avoid dealing with the judgment debtor at all and acquire a writ of execution to garnish their wages. You will need some specific information regarding the judgment debtor, but this information is easily obtainable at sites like Writ Ready. Get the money/asset (s) owed without having to deal with the judgment debtor by enforcing the judgment yourself. Don’t let your judgment debtor get away without enforcing your rights.

Can you garnish your wages if you ignore a judgment?

Absolutely. If your judgment deb tor has ignored court orders, you may legally garnish your judgment debtor’s wages. Hopefully, it never has to come to garnishing their wages. However, in the real world, you have to exercise your rights against people who refuse to pay their debts. This doesn’t mean hire goons from Craigslist to force your judgment debtor’s employer to pay up. What it means is that you have the right to serve a writ of execution to your judgment debtor’s employer which allows you to garnish your judgment debtor’s wages. Their employer will have no choice but to follow the court approved document.

What is garnishment in employment?

A wage garnishment (or wage attachment) is a court or government agency order that requires your employer to withhold a certain amount from your wages and to send it to your creditor.

How much can a creditor garnish?

If a creditor obtains a court order to garnish your wages, federal law limits the amount that can be taken to 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your weekly disposable income exceeds 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is lower .

What is garnishment on student loans?

If you're behind on your federal student loan payments, the U.S. Department of Education (or any entity collecting on its behalf) can garnish your wages without a court order, called an "administrative garnishment." The amount of the garnishment is limited to 15% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your weekly disposable wages exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less.

How much can you garnish child support?

For child support obligations, federal law allows garnishment of up to 50% of your disposable earnings (gross wages less deductions required by law) if you are supporting a spouse or child who isn't the subject of the wage garnishment order. If you don't have another spouse or child to support, this amount can be 60%.

How did Krista's credit card debt get settled?

Example. While employed, Krista's yearly raises didn't keep up with the increasing cost of her living expenses. Forced to make choices, she decided to stop paying her credit card bill. A few months later, she was served with a collection lawsuit seeking damages in the amount of her credit card debt plus other costs. After going through the court process, the credit card company proved that Krista owed the debt at a court trial in front of a judge. The court awarded the credit card company a money judgment for the amount owed. The credit card company used the money judgment to get a court order directing Krista's employer to deduct money from her paycheck.

Can you garnish your wages?

State and local governments can also garnish your wages to collect unpaid taxes. But the amount they can garnish and procedures they must follow depend on state law. To find out more about wage garnishment limits for unpaid state and local taxes in your area, contact your state labor department.

Can a student loan be garnished?

a student loan, or. a money judgment for some other unpaid bill (like a credit card balance or personal loan). Before the creditor can garnish your wages, most must sue you, get a money judgment, and obtain a court order. But there are exceptions. Read on to learn more about who can garnish your wages and what that creditor must do ...

What is garnishment in a judgment?

Wage garnishment allows a creditor to take a portion of your wages to pay debts that you owe. Wages may be garnished to pay debts that have been reduced to a judgment or taken by administrative orders to pay certain debts, such as child support or spousal support, back taxes, or student loans. Garnishments to pay judgments.

What do you get when you get a garnishment?

When you're notified that a garnishment has been filed, you'll receive a packet of information from the court or the agency responsible for the administrative wage garnishment . The papers should include an explanation of how much can be taken from your paycheck each pay period. In the case of a garnishment to pay a judgment, ...

How much can a garnishment take?

In the case of a garnishment to pay a judgment, federal law allows the creditor to take up to 25% of your wages or the amount that your income exceeds 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is less. Some states allow a lesser amount. Other limits might apply to administrative wage garnishments.

What to do if you think the garnishment is wrong?

If you think the wrong amount is being taken, you should consult with an attorney. If, however, it will be too expensive to hire a lawyer, you can challenge the garnishment amount on your own.

What debts can be garnished?

Other debts that can be collected through an administrative wage garnishment include federal student loans and back taxes. If you're facing a wage garnishment or your wages are already being garnished, you might be wondering whether you should hire an attorney, challenge the wage garnishment on your own, do nothing, or take some other action.

What to do if you already owe a debt?

If you already paid the debt, or you did not owe the debt to begin with, you should consult with an attorney. At the time a garnishment has been filed, either a court or an administrative agency has determined that you're legally obligated to pay that debt.

Can a creditor garnish your wages?

In some situations, a creditor may garnish your wages to pay debts without first getting a judgment. These kinds of garnishments are called "administrative wage garnishments.". In almost every case, the law mandates that child and spousal support be collected via wage garnishment, even if you agree to pay voluntarily.

What to do when a debtor is notified of wage garnishment?

As soon as a debtor is notified that their creditor has begun seeking payment of the debt through wage garnishment proceedings, he should immediately contact an attorney that specializes in matters of wage garnishment and/or bankruptcy . The attorney can then assure the debtor that the correct steps are being taken by both the creditor and the court, and ensure that the order of those steps are in the correct order. These steps include:

What happens when a debtor becomes delinquent?

Once a debtor becomes substantially delinquent in payment to the creditor, the creditor must obtain a civil court judgment in order to proceed in collecting the amount owed by the debtor, including any interest on the debt or any filing fees the creditor paid in order to receive the judgment ordering garnishment.

Can a court order garnish wages?

With this information, the court will determine whether or not the debtor has the funds to pay the creditor readily available, and if not the court can then allow the creditor to garnish the debtor's wages.

Can a garnishment attorney negotiate with the IRS?

In some garnishment cases involving the IRS or State Tax Agency, an attorney may be able to negotiate cancellation of the entire debt by deeming it an uncollectible account. The debtor can typically retain a wage garnishment attorney's services without incurring any up front cost, and most have highly flexible payment plans.

How Do Wage Garnishments Work in North Carolina?

North Carolina wage garnishment laws permit wage garnishments in very limited circumstances, and the state does not generally allow wage garnishments as a debt collection method. With one exception, North Carolina residents are protected from wage garnishments by private creditors.

What Part of Your Wages Can a Creditor Take?

Federal law limits what may be garnished, in most cases, to one quarter of your disposable earnings (what’s left after mandatory deductions) or the amount by which your disposable earnings for that week exceed thirty times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less.

Special Rules Apply for Child Support

All court orders for child support include an order to withhold wages for that support. A child’s best interests are a priority, so if a parent also supports another spouse and/or another child, up to half of that parent’s disposable earnings may be garnished for child support payments.

If Your Wages Are Garnished, Is Your Job at Risk?

Garnishments are an inconvenience to employers, but federal law offers some job protection if your wages are being garnished. An employer may not retaliate against, discipline, or fire an employee because that employee’s wages are being garnished – the first time.

Is Bankruptcy an Option?

Bankruptcy cannot stop a wage garnishment for ongoing or past due child support or alimony, but it can stop a wage garnishment for back taxes and student loan debt.

How Should You Respond to a Wage Garnishment?

Your response to a wage garnishment in North Carolina will depend on a number of factors, including the reason for the wage garnishment, the amount that’s being garnished, your employment situation, your financial situation, and the amount of your other debts.

What Else Should You Know About Wage Garnishments?

If your wages are being garnished by the U.S. Department of Education, the Internal Revenue Service, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, another governmental agency, or a court, these are your options:

How can a creditor use a judgment?

1 . If your state allows it, the judgment can file a levy with the court and your employer, instructing the employer to garnish a portion of your wages, to pay the creditor.

What happens if you ignore a lawsuit?

If you ignore the lawsuit, the court will enter an automatic judgment against you, known as a default judgment. 1 Of course, even if you file an answer to the lawsuit, you can still lose the case.

What is a writ of execution?

Your creditor can present the judgment against you to a sheriff, instructing them to seize and sell your property, to pay off judgments. This action, called a "writ of execution," can be extremely unnerving. 10 11 Imagine a deputy knocking on your door with that piece of paper, entitling them to take your plasma TV or drive off in your car.

How long is a judgment valid?

Depending on your state, a judgment remains valid from 5 to 20 years or more. 5  6  That's a long time for a debt to follow you around. Furthermore, judgments show up on credit reports for up to seven years and may appear on background checks until the judgments expire, whichever is longer. 7 .

What is a lien on a home?

National Association of REALTORS®. " What Is a Property Lien? An Unpaid Debt That Could Trip Up Your Home Sale ." Accessed March 16, 2020.

What happens if you beat a case because the statute of limitations has expired?

If you beat a case because the statute of limitations has expired, failure to pay the debt will still affect your credit record. 4  Different types of debt have different time limits. These vary depending on if it's an oral agreement, written contract, promissory note, or open-ended account. A judgment typically consists ...

Can a judgment be filed against an employer?

If your state allows it, the judgment can file a levy with the court and your employer, instructing the employer to garnish a portion of your wages, to pay the creditor. Garnishments may also target bank accounts.