Can creditors garnish your wages if you are making payments?
Jackson Reed
Updated on February 15, 2026
Creditors can’t typically garnish your wages until they have obtained a court order. This means that a creditor will have to file a lawsuit against you, and go through the court system to collect their debt out of your paycheck. Those are unpaid income taxes, child support and student loan debt.
Can debt collectors take your whole paycheck?
Federal Wage Garnishment Limits for Judgment Creditors If a judgment creditor is garnishing your wages, federal law provides that it can take no more than: 25% of your disposable income, or. the amount that your income exceeds 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less.
Can a credit card company garnish your wages?
LaToya Irby is a credit expert and has been covering credit and debt management for The Balance for more than a decade. Some debt collectors including some credit card companies will try to bully you into making a payment by threatening to garnish your wages.
How much can a judgment debtor garnish your wages?
Many states follow the federal guidelines, but some protect more of a debtor’s wages. For example, in Massachusetts, most judgment creditors can only garnish up to 15% of your wages. To find the state wage garnishment rules in your state, visit the website of your state department of labor.
What happens if I get a bank account garnishment?
If the garnishment is directed at your bank account, the bank will almost always freeze the account during this period to prevent you from taking any money out of it. Even at that late date, after the court has entered the judgment, many creditors will often agree to hold up on the garnishment if you enter into a payment arrangement.
What happens to your credit card balance when you make minimum payments?
Your monthly payment will decrease as your balance is paid down. This can greatly increase the length of time it takes to pay off your credit cards. This is the total length of time required to pay off this credit card debit if you use only minimum payments.
