Wage garnishment is a court-ordered process that requires your employer to withhold a portion of your paycheck and send it directly to a creditor to satisfy an unpaid debt. Federal law caps how much can be withheld and prohibits firing an employee because of a single garnishment.
When you owe a debt and don't pay, most creditors must sue you in court and win a judgment before they can garnish your wages. Once a court enters a judgment against you, it can issue a writ of garnishment directing your employer to withhold a set amount from each paycheck until the debt is paid. Exceptions include federal student loans, back taxes, and child support — those can be garnished without a court judgment. The CFPB's wage garnishment overview explains the process and your options.
The Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) limits the amount that can be garnished from your disposable earnings (take-home pay after mandatory deductions). For most consumer debts, the maximum is the lesser of: 25% of disposable weekly earnings, or the amount by which disposable weekly earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. Child support and alimony garnishments allow higher percentages — up to 50–65% depending on circumstances. State laws may be more protective than the federal floor; some states ban most wage garnishments entirely.
The CCPA prohibits your employer from firing you because your wages are being garnished for one debt. That protection disappears if a second creditor garnishes you simultaneously. You also have the right to challenge the garnishment if you believe the amount is wrong, the debt is not yours, or the debt has already been paid. Consult an attorney if you receive a garnishment notice and believe it is in error — state exemptions and procedural rules vary significantly. The FTC's debt collection FAQs cover related consumer rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.