economy
What rights do you have during the wage garnishment process?
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TL;DR
- Borrowers often have more legal standing than they realize when facing wage garnishment.
- You have the right to receive notice of a lawsuit and court judgment before wages can be garnished, with exceptions for certain government debts.
- Federal law caps garnishments at 25% of disposable earnings or the amount exceeding 30 times the minimum wage, whichever is less, and many states have stricter limits.
- Certain income, such as Social Security and veterans' benefits, are protected from garnishment, and you can file a claim of exemption.
- Employers cannot fire you solely because your wages are being garnished for a single debt.
- You generally have the right to request a court hearing to dispute errors, fraud, or incorrect amounts in a garnishment order.