Continuing garnishment vs. one-time garnishment — which to file
2026-06-10 · 2 min read · Garnishment
Georgia's garnishment statute gives you two different instruments, and choosing the right one is most of the strategy. One reaches a stream of money; the other grabs a pool.
The two tools
Continuing garnishment attaches to recurring payments — almost always wages. Once the employer is served, it withholds from every paycheck (within the federal 25%/30× caps) for up to 1,095 days or until the judgment is paid [verify]. The garnishee answers periodically and remits through the court.
Regular (one-time) garnishment attaches to whatever the garnishee holds during the answer window — the classic bank account garnishment. The bank freezes funds on hand, answers within 30–45 days, and pays over what it caught [verify]. Then it's done; a new filing is needed for another pass.
How to choose
- Debtor has a steady W-2 job? Continuing garnishment. It's slow but nearly automatic — the employer does the collecting for three years if needed.
- Debtor is self-employed or job-hops? Bank garnishment. There's no employer to bind, but business receipts land in an account somewhere.
- You know a deposit is coming? Bank garnishment, timed to it — tax refunds, a closing, an insurance payout. [verify]
- Big judgment, cooperative facts? Both. Nothing stops a wage garnishment running while you take periodic shots at the bank account, as long as total collection never exceeds the judgment. [verify]
Whichever tool you use, keep your math current. Over-collecting past the judgment balance — even accidentally, across two garnishments — creates liability flowing the other way. Track every remittance.
Cost and friction compared
Each garnishment is its own filing with its own fees ($60–$100 typical, varying by court [verify]). Continuing garnishments amortize that cost over many pay periods; a bank garnishment that hits an empty account amortizes it over nothing. Exemption fights also differ: wage garnishments mostly generate math disputes, while bank garnishments generate source-of-funds disputes (protected federal benefits, joint owners' money).
The renewal calendar
A continuing garnishment isn't fire-and-forget. Employers answer on a cycle, debtors change jobs, and the 1,095-day clock eventually runs. Calendar the garnishment's end date, watch for missed employer answers (a non-answering garnishee can become liable itself [verify]), and be ready to re-file against a new employer the month the debtor moves.
That's exactly the bookkeeping FileMyCase's garnishment package automates — the renewal calendar, the answer tracking, and the exemption-response playbook.
Can I garnish both wages and the bank at the same time?
Yes, multiple garnishments can run concurrently — the constraint is the judgment balance, not the number of garnishments. Keep totals reconciled. [verify]
Which works against a gig worker?
Platform pay usually isn't W-2 wages, so continuing garnishment fits poorly — bank garnishment timed after payout days is the usual play. [verify]
This article is legal information, not legal advice. Statute references are tagged [verify] pending review by a licensed Georgia attorney.
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