Many people carefully budget out their entire paycheck for bills, savings, and extra spending. To find that your paycheck has suddenly been reduced by any amount can cause serious financial issues for your and your household. However, this happens all too often when a party decides to garnish someone’s wages.
It may seem unfair that a company or agency can simply take a portion of the income that you rightfully earned, though it happens more often than you may think. It is important to know who can garnish your wages so that you can avoid this situation whenever possible.
Obtaining a Writ of Garnishment
In most cases, a wage garnishment comes from a creditor seeking payment for a debt, such as a medical bill or unpaid credit card balance. In this situation, a creditor must first file a legal claim against you for the amount owed, against which you can defend. If you fail to respond to the lawsuit or the court rules in the creditor’s favor, they will be granted a judgment for the unpaid amount.
Many people fail to pay judgments for a variety of reasons, often not realizing that the creditor can petition the court to enforce the judgment through a garnishment. Once a writ of garnishment is obtained, your employer can be instructed to pay part of your wages directly to satisfy the judgment.
In some cases, certain parties do not have to even obtain a judgment or permission from the court to garnish your wages. For example, parties can garnish your wages for the following reasons:
- Unpaid taxes
- Child support owed by a court order, including arrears
- Student loans in default
No matter who has garnished your wages, it can be a difficult process to end the garnishment. It is critical to call a skilled wage garnishment lawyer who can find solutions so that you can receive the full pay you deserve.
Find Out How a Utah Wage Garnishment Attorney Can Help You
A wage garnishment can wreak havoc on your life but you can seek assistance from a Salt Lake City garnishment lawyer. At JLT Law, we can help you find relief from a garnishment and from overwhelming debts in your life. Please call for a free consultation today at (801) 896-9444.