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Garnishment is a lien against the wages that you earn from your employer. You may receive a garnishment for a number of different reasons relating to debt.
Identification
Wage garnishment occurs when your employer is mandated by a court to withhold a certain dollar amount or percentage from each of your paychecks and remit the amount to an agency or creditor that you owe money.
Reasons
The most common reasons for garnishment are owing back payments of alimony, separate maintenance, or spousal or child support. In some states, credit card companies or other lenders may also be able to garnish your wages for past-due payments.
Time Frame
Garnishment continues until you have paid off the amount you owe in full. If you settle your debt through a lump sum, the garnishment will be stopped.
Restrictions
State laws govern the maximum amount of your wages that can be garnished, as well as the valid reasons for garnishment.
Protection
A federal law known as the Consumer Credit Protection Act prevents your employer from taking disciplinary action or firing you because your wages have been garnished. An attorney may be able to negotiate the terms of your garnishment or work out a payment plan to stop the garnishment.
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