One of the worst things about being in debt is that you have creditors calling all the time. Eventually, if you ignore those calls or can’t come up with the money for the debt, they may seek to garnish your wages. Wage garnishment is serious, because the money you owe may be taken directly out of your paycheck. The garnishment may also affect your joint accounts and personal bank account.
Creditors will try to pursue a debt without regard for your personal situation. They may call you at home or work. They may call your friends or family members to try to get you to pay what you owe.
How can you stop wage garnishment?
To stop wage garnishment, you can file for bankruptcy. With bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into place, which stops creditors from collecting debts while your bankruptcy is in process. The creditors who used to call you or others will need to stop immediately. If you hear from them again, all you need to do is to forward them to your attorney’s office.
It is a violation of the automatic stay to garnish your wages after you file for bankruptcy. That’s a serious offense that judges will not be happy with. Any creditor who violates the stay can face a lawsuit as a result.
What can you do if your wages are already being garnished?
Even if your wages are already being garnished, it’s possible to stop those collection activities. Whether there is a threat of garnishment or garnishment has taken place, you have the option of seeking a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy to stop those wage garnishments.
If you receive a notice that your wages are going to be garnished by a creditor such as a credit card lender or the Internal Revenue Service, don’t delay in seeking help. If you wait, you may have at least some of your wages garnished before you can start the process of bankruptcy. Take steps as soon as possible, and you may never have your wages garnished at all, and you may be able to reduce what you owe as well.