Wage Garnishment Notice: Check the Order and Pay Stub

Identify the authority before calculating anything

A court order for consumer debt, child-support order, tax levy, bankruptcy order, and federal administrative garnishment are not interchangeable. Record the issuer, case number, creditor, employer notice date, debt type, balance, start date, and response instructions. Verify the case or agency through an official channel. If the withholding follows a consumer-debt case, review the lawsuit and judgment record.

Record who issued the order, who receives the money, the debt type, case or agency reference, issue date, employer receipt date, and any stated response route. Consumer judgments, child support, taxes, and federal debts can follow different procedures. Confirm the document through the court or agency shown on official records. A payroll deduction labeled garnishment is not enough by itself to explain the authority or available process.

Reconcile the order with the pay stub

Use gross earnings, legally required deductions, disposable earnings as defined for the applicable rule, and the actual amount withheld. Voluntary deductions do not necessarily reduce disposable earnings for the federal calculation. Keep the order and every affected pay stub in one file so the pattern is visible.

For each pay period, write gross pay, required deductions, the earnings figure used for withholding, the amount withheld, and year-to-date totals. Compare the employer's calculation with the order and the applicable current rule. Keep every pay stub because one normal check may hide a problem that appears with overtime, a bonus, or a shorter pay period. Ask payroll for the calculation details without expecting payroll staff to give legal advice.

Understand the federal floor and state overlay

For many ordinary consumer debts, federal law limits withholding to the lesser of 25 percent of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage for the relevant weekly period. Different limits apply to some support, tax, bankruptcy, and federal debts. A state rule can protect more earnings.

Use exemption and objection procedures on time

The court or agency notice may explain a hearing, claim-of-exemption form, or objection deadline. Exempt income, household hardship, mistaken identity, satisfied judgments, and calculation errors can require different evidence. A qualified local attorney or legal-aid organization can explain the procedure and what proof the forum accepts. The hardship finder can help organize the local legal-aid route.

Address the budget shock without hiding the legal issue

Update the cash calendar using take-home pay after withholding. Protect housing, food, medicine, essential utilities, work access, and required insurance. Contact other creditors with a revised affordable payment. Do not take a high-cost loan merely to replace the withheld amount without testing the next pay period. Rebuild the month with the crisis bill-priority framework.