Wage garnishment taking your paycheck? Here is how to stop it.
Every payday the order takes more of your check. Who is taking it decides how much they can take and how it stops.
A free review of your order. We are a help line, not a law firm.
Who is garnishing you?
- A card company or debt collectorUp to 25% after a court judgment
- A hospital or medical billUp to 25% after a court judgment
- The IRSAll pay above a set table amount
- A federal student loanUp to 15%, no court needed
- Child support50% to 65% of take-home pay
- My bank account is frozenBenefits and some pay are protected
Your deadline to object is running
10 to 14 days is what most court papers give you to object.
After that, the order keeps taking your pay every payday. Call now with your order in hand and we go through what to file before time runs out.
Each state prints its own deadline on the court papers and it is often short. Find your state’s rule.
How much wage garnishment can take
Wage garnishment is a court or agency order that tells your employer to hold back part of each check and send it to the person you owe. The name at the top of the order decides your limit. These limits come from the Department of Labor, Federal Student Aid and the IRS.
| Who is taking it | Court case first? | Most they can take |
|---|---|---|
| Card company, hospital, collector | Yes, a judgment | 25% of take-home pay, less in many states |
| Federal student loan | No | 15% of take-home pay |
| IRS | No | All pay above a table amount |
| Child support | A support order | 50% to 65% |
For a creditor with a judgment, federal law takes the smaller of two numbers each week: 25% of your take-home pay or whatever you earn above $217.50. On $1,000 a week that is $250. Where a state sets a lower number, the lower number wins. The wage garnishment calculator works it out for your own check in three questions.
What does my garnishment notice mean?
Paste the words from a writ, a levy letter or a court notice and get them back in plain English: who sent it, what it orders and the dates on it. The notice reader has more room for long papers.
What does my notice mean?
What your notice says
The date printed on your paper is the one to beat. Call with it in front of you and a specialist goes through it with you.
Call 833-991-9547How a garnishment order starts
A card company or hospital has to sue you and win first. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says most creditors can only garnish after a court issues a judgment. Skip the lawsuit and the court can enter a default judgment without hearing your side.
Federal agencies skip the court. The IRS and the Education Department can garnish after they mail you a notice. Filing bankruptcy stops most of these orders the day you file, the federal courts say. Every route is on how to stop wage garnishment.
Wage garnishment laws by state
Federal law is the ceiling and many states protect more of your pay. Pick your state or see every state side by side.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
Common garnishment questions
What is the most they can garnish from your paycheck?
For a card or medical judgment, the federal cap is 25% of disposable pay and pay of $217.50 a week or less is safe. Child support can reach 50% to 65%. The IRS uses its own table instead of a percent.
Who can garnish wages without notice?
Nobody skips every step. A card company or hospital needs a court judgment first, so you get court papers. The IRS and the Education Department send letters before money comes out, which is why opening your mail matters.
Will a wage garnishment affect my job?
Federal law bars your employer from firing you over a garnishment for one debt. That protection ends once a second debt brings a second order.
How can I stop a wage garnishment immediately?
Filing bankruptcy stops most garnishments the day you file. Other routes, like an exemption claim or a payment deal, take days to weeks. See the six ways to stop it.
Can someone garnish my wages without me knowing?
The order has to be served and your employer has to give you a copy. If you only learn about it from a short paycheck, call us and we track down the order with you.
Stop the next deduction
We go through who is garnishing you, your limit and your deadline, so you know what to file. Have the name at the top of your order ready when you call.
Call 833-991-9547