Knoxville Wage Garnishment Lawyer Provides Strong Advocacy

Tennessee firm can work to help stop your paycheck from being garnished

After a judgment is issued or some other instance involving an allegedly unpaid financial obligation, a creditor might seek to garnish the debtor’s wages. This can create a serious problem for the garnishee, preventing them from collecting all of the income they’ve earned and potentially causing problems once their employer is notified of the arrangement. As an accomplished debt relief firm, William E. Maddox, Jr. LLC, Attorney at Law in Knoxville works on behalf of East Tennessee clients to find alternatives to wage garnishment. I use my knowledge of the relevant laws and experience in this field to help area residents fulfill financial obligations on their own terms.

Attorney handles proceedings relating to credit card and child support debt

In most situations, Tennessee law limits the amount of a wage garnishment to 25 percent of the debtor’s wages. However, there are some exceptions. My firm counsels clients who might be losing income because they lost a legal judgment, failed to make a property tax payment. Filing for bankruptcy can be a useful strategy for individuals facing wage garnishment by a judgment creditor. I assist victims of all types of wage garnishment, including situations where the underlying debt involves:

• Child support — A noncustodial parent’s legal obligation to help meet their son or daughter’s financial needs is given high priority. Accordingly, wages are withheld as part of a child support order even if there is no reason to believe that payments might be missed. Should an issue arise over missed payments, a court can require an additional wage garnishment to make up for what is owed. This could amount to as much as 50 or 60 percent of what a parent earns, depending on their family situation.
• Credit-card bills — To garnish the wages of a cardholder, a financial institution must first gain authorization from a court. If legal action has been initiated, my firm can act quickly to oppose the entry of a judgment and find other ways to address your credit card debt.
• Student loan debt — Reimbursement for student loan debt can be taken from someone’s wages without the lender obtaining a judgment through a process known as administrative garnishment. When you come to me for advice, I can discuss forbearance and other options that might be available to help avert any withholding of your wages. Garnishment for student loan obligations is limited to 15 percent of a garnishee’s paycheck.

Under federal law, an employer is not permitted to dismiss an employee based on that the fact that the worker is subject to a wage garnishment order. Companies must also follow detailed procedures on how to comply with such a directive. If you believe that you have been unfairly targeted due to your debt issue, my firm will outline and protect your legal rights.

Contact a Tennessee attorney for a free consultation regarding wage garnishment

William E. Maddox, Jr. LLC, Attorney at Law in Knoxville advocates on behalf of Tennessee residents whose wages have been garnished or who are in danger of having their income diverted. Please call 865-293-4953 or contact me online to make an appointment for a free initial consultation.