Your wages may be garnished if you owe child support, student loans, or back taxes, or a court judgment has been entered against you. A creditor is permitted to file a civil lawsuit against you when you default on your payments. If the creditor is successful in the lawsuit, or if you fail to show up for court and they are given a default judgement, they may file additional paperwork ordering your employer to withhold a certain percentage of your paycheck to apply toward your past due balance.
In the case of child support, student loans or taxes, the creditor may file a wage garnishment without filing a civil suit. If you have received such a notice and are wondering how to stop wage garnishment, you must first understand how the process works.