You expect someone who owes you money to pay up, or otherwise, commits to clearing their dues. Sometimes, it’s not the case, and they might even start ignoring your attempts to collect the debt. If that is the case, it may be time to explore wage garnishment.
It is an effective method of collecting money you are owed, especially when you have sued and won yet the debtor still doesn’t pay up. Writ of garnishment is provided under Florida law whereby you recover your debt directly from a third party who owes your defendant, such as the salary and wages owed by the employer.
Are there limits on wage garnishment?
Remember, you must have a court judgment that your debtor owes you money to garnish their wages. Even then, there are limits on the amount of wages you can garnish from your debtor. For example, there is a garnishment limit of 25% on weekly wages or the amount over 30 times the Federal hourly minimum wage in Florida.
In addition, some exemptions may apply if your debtor is considered head of family. It means that they are providing more than half the support of a child or dependent in this case, you can only garnish their wages which go about $750 per week. If they earn less than that, you cannot garnish their wages.
Safeguarding your interest
If you are thinking of filing a garnishment against a debtor, it is crucial to do so with the correct information. A procedural effect could be detrimental to your efforts which is why you need to understand Florida’s garnishment process.
In the end, successful debt recovery is all that you are after. Don’t let a small mistake ruin your right to recover what you deserve.