What happens when wages are garnished?
State law governs the procedures which must be followed in order to garnish a consumer’s wages. Generally, however, the creditor must file a wage garnishment notice with the court in the county where the consumer’s employer is located. Once the employer is served with the wage garnishment notice, it must begin deducting the specified sum from the consumer’s wages each pay period and forwarding that sum to the court. The court will then send the money to the creditor. If the employer is served with a notice of continuing garnishment, it must garnish the consumer’s wages until the debt has been paid in full or until such time as the consumer’s employment with that employer ends. The total judgment usually includes filing fees, court costs, and attorney’s fees. Additionally, interest will continue to accrue on the judgment until it is paid in full.
