Garnishment >> Back to glossary
A garnishment is a legal action that has been taken against an individual who owes money to another and did not fulfill their commitment of payment. A garnishment is most commonly used when it involves debts that are connected to a government entity. For example, if you have been ordered to pay support by the courts, or you have a student loan you didn't pay, then a garnishment could be put against your source of income. Usually the income source is some form of income that you may be receiving from employment. The laws are continuously updating as to what is considered income that is applicable for garnishment, so don't just assume that any money you have coming in is untouchable by this type of legal action. Also, technically a garnishment can be placed against any type of debt and is not just reserved for government owed money.
This legal action can be devastating. Many individuals that are in financial difficulty will sometimes try to pay the majority of their bills with one or two not being attended to. These individuals are trying to make a valiant effort to do the best they can. Then all of a sudden perhaps one of those not being paid manages to get a garnishment of wage ordered and suddenly becomes the priority of getting paid. Now there is not enough money left to pay the rest of the creditors. The sum of money that is taken through a garnishment will be calculated through the legal system, and can stay in place until the debt has been fully satisfied. Most often this causes such stress for the financially strapped individual that they end up losing everything.
Having a record of garnishment against you is a serious black mark on your credit rating. It can prevent you from borrowing money in the future for a very long time to come, and it could even prevent you from opening a bank account.
Here at DebtCafe USA we understand the seriousness and urgency that comes with a pending or already in place garnishment. One should never feel though that there is no financial hope because of a garnishment being in place. Our financial debt solution experts may be able to help you negotiate acceptable terms that will lift the pressure, and work out solutions where you can satisfy all your creditors. Filling out our handy no obligation form is the first step to getting some relief of mind that you can be in control of your finances again.
