Stop Wage Garnishment With Expert Legal Assistance
The threat of wage garnishment can be terrifying if you have overwhelming debt. Debt collectors obtaining legal permission to reach into your bank account or pilfer your paycheck at will can make it nearly impossible to return to a life of financial security. An experienced attorney at Reiser Law Group can help fight the garnishment law and find effective solutions to eliminate debt once and for all. Reach out for a consultation today to find a path forward that doesn’t include wage garnishment.
When Can Creditors Start Garnishing Wages?
Garnishment law in Utah is complex and based on factors such as the type of debt owed, how much you make, and the number of dependents you have. Unsecured debt, like medical bills, utility bills, credit cards, and any borrowing that wasn’t secured with collateral, is the most common type of debt that results in collectors garnishing wages. The process is initiated after debtors repeatedly ignore phone calls and letters, resulting in creditors seeking court authorization to begin wage garnishment. You will receive notice of the procedure.
Typically, unsecured debt collections can garnish as much as 25% of your paycheck once the court approves. Bank accounts may also be levied. A formula is used to determine how much of your wages can be garnished, which includes your disposable income, number of dependents, number of creditors owed, and more. Working with a garnishment attorney in Utah will help debtors understand how much they stand to lose if creditors take advantage of garnishment law in their jurisdiction.
How Will Garnished Paycheck Impact You?
A garnishment lawyer at our firm is ready to help you avoid one of the most impactful results of unpaid debt. The consequences of letting the situation get out of hand will be dire for you and your family. Some of the tangible and emotional consequences can include:
- Reduced Income: In this scenario, take-home pay will be significantly reduced. Certain tax debts and child support arrears could result in 80% of monthly or weekly income loss. Unsecured debt will generally result in forfeiture of 25%, which is more than enough to make a significant dent in quality of life. The result could lead to less money to cover rent, groceries, and utilities and make it harder to plan for emergencies. Planning for the future, in general, will be nearly impossible.
- Impact on Credit Score: Unpaid loans and debt will already negatively impact your credit score. While garnished wages aren’t directly stated on a credit report, lenders can still see this information. People having their paychecks garnished will find it much harder to get loans, credit cards, or favorable interest rates in the future. The effects may still be felt for years after all debts are satisfied.
- Emotional and Psychological Stress: People facing the burden of wage garnishment have reported intense feelings of stress, anxiety, and embarrassment. Stress and anxiety come from not knowing when financial circumstances will worsen or improve. Not having enough money to cover emergencies or basic living expenses could also strain personal relationships with others. It’s common to feel embarrassed when employers and relatives know about your money problems. The damage to mental health could become greater than the debt was worth in the first place.
- Potential Job Risk: This process can stress relationships between employers and employees. Laws exist to protect employees from being fired due to wage garnishment, but they generally only apply to a single debt and not when money problems start putting an immense strain on the company’s HR and payroll department.
- Difficulty Saving for the Future: With a portion of your wages being deducted, saving for long-term goals such as buying a home, retirement, or emergency funds becomes much more challenging, delaying your ability to build financial stability. People often have to put off important decisions and events, including weddings, and putting their children in beneficial programs, like private schools and sports.
Get your life back on track by consulting with a garnishment lawyer to stop or minimize the impact of this debt collection strategy on your future. Our garnishment attorneys have strategies that help clients get debt collectors off their backs and out of their paychecks.
A Garnishment Attorney Can Help
If facing this debt collection measure, hiring a garnishment attorney will be life-changing. First, you must understand that you have rights as a debtor and that collection tactics can be fought against with the right strategy and defense. Reiser Law Group is one of the highest-rated firms in Utah for helping clients get out from beneath crushing debt, and one of our specialties is having wage garnishment orders overturned. Strategies that can be employed based on your unique circumstances include:
- Challenging Wage Garnishment Orders: Creditors often impose unfair or untrue debts on borrowers. Many debts have been waived in their entirety when challenged in court. Our garnishment lawyers use dependable strategies to dispute the validity of debts and get an order of wage garnishment overturned.
- Fighting for Exemptions: Without proper legal representation, creditors will go after wages and income that should be exempt from such collection practices. We will identify all exemptions clients qualify for, including through dependents, type of income, financial hardships, tax status, and more.
- Negotiating Better Terms With Creditors: A garnishment attorney brings years of experience negotiating with creditors for better terms for their clients. Achieve a repayment plan you can live with and a clear path back to financial security. Negotiations help people stay out of court, avoid wage garnishment, and pay less. A great negotiator can get many debts dismissed or consolidated so that you repay less in the long run.
Filing Bankruptcy To Stop Wage Garnishment
Bankruptcy is another effective method for stopping wage garnishments. Once filed, the court will implement an automatic stay on collection activities, including asset seizure, bank levies, and money taken from paychecks. Filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the most common for this scenario. Consult with our garnishment attorneys to determine which is right for you.
Garnished wages can be permanently stopped for many unsecured debts when filing for bankruptcy. Chapter 13 allows petitioners to arrange a repayment plan over three to five years based on income and other financial considerations. Creditors will be prohibited from taking money or assets while you repay, and their harassing phone calls or letters will cease.
There are different bankruptcy wage garnishment strategies and factors to consider. The filing process and navigating the court system can be complex. A skilled garnishment lawyer will help overcome all of the difficulties. Call our law office to discuss your situation and discover the most effective avenues for achieving the desired outcome.
Effective Legal Counsel Is Worth the Cost
Don’t think of hiring an attorney as another expense to add to your debt. Effective legal counsel is more than worth the cost, helping debtors achieve a repayment plan they can manage and find a clear path back to financial security. Lawyers can also provide tailored financial advice and debt management services to help prevent this situation from happening again.
A skilled legal representative will fight for your rights and achieve a better outcome than you’d get alone. Collectors can use tactics and charge rates that people might not realize are unfair. Many unnecessary costs can be thrown out in court or through negotiations. You have nothing to lose and much to gain by calling us for a consultation.
Gain Peace of Mind With a Consultation
You shouldn’t settle for oppressive debt collection programs like wage garnishment. A way out from the burden of crushing debt is possible without worsening your financial situation. Bankruptcy is a fast way to stop garnished wages, or a lawyer could implement several other strategies to discharge debt and protect your paycheck and assets. Call Reiser Law Group for a consultation and discover tailored solutions that will work for your specific circumstances. Gain invaluable peace of mind that the best times are ahead with a clear path out of debt.