West Palm Beach Wage Garnishments Attorney
If you are employed, the money that you receive in a paycheck is one of the most immediate ways that your work is rewarded, and one of the most significant. Indeed, it is thanks to your income that you are able to pay your bills and support your way of living.
Which is why the idea of wage garnishment–where your wages are withheld by your employer via a court order–can be so incredibly frustrating, maddening, and worrisome. If your wages are being garnished and you don’t know what your rights are, please call our experienced West Palm Beach wage garnishment attorneys at the law office of Bruce S. Rosenwater & Associates, P.A. today.
What Is Wage Garnishment?
Wage garnishment is the withholding of wages on an employee’s paycheck as a result of a court order. Wage garnishment is used as a way to recover money to repay a debt owed by an employee. When wages are withheld, or garnished, by an employer, the money is then diverted directly to the creditor.
When Can a Person’s Wage Legally Be Garnished?
A creditor can ask a court to issue a wage garnishment against a debtor when a debtor has failed to repay a debt. Typically, a wage garnishment order will be the result of a lawsuit, but this isn’t always the case.That being said, there are some protections for debtors, including a protection regarding how much money can be taken at once. Wages can be garnished for debts like student loan debt, child support debt, back taxes, and more, such as credit card debt. Wages can be garnished at a greater rate (50 percent of weekly disposable income) for child support and alimony payments, and at a lesser rate for credit card debt (25 percent) and federal student loan debt (15 percent).
What to Do if Your Wages Are Garnished
It’s important that you understand your rights related to wage garnishment. These rights include:
- The right to be notified of the garnishment
- The right to dispute the garnishment if you believe that it is in error
- The right to contact an attorney to discuss your options
Depending on your situation, accepting the garnishment and paying back your debts may make sense; in other cases, though, you may challenge the garnishment, or contact your creditors to work out a repayment plan or another arrangement. Note that if you file for bankruptcy, the wage garnishment action will automatically be put on hold.
Call Our West Palm Beach Wage Garnishment Attorneys Today
Learning that a portion of your hard-earned wages is going to be withheld in order to pay back your creditors is incredibly frustrating, and something that most people don’t want to leave undealt with. If your wages are being garnished or are at risk of being garnished, it is in your best interests to contact a wage garnishment and debt defense attorney who can advise you of your options. At the law office of Bruce S. Rosenwater & Associates, P.A., our lawyers can serve you. Call us today to learn how.
