Wage garnishment in Georgia — how much can you collect from a paycheck?
2026-06-10 · 2 min read · Garnishment
You won the judgment. The debtor has a job. Wage garnishment is how those two facts become money — but federal law caps how much of each paycheck you can reach, and the math surprises most first-time creditors.
The formula
Georgia follows the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act limits for ordinary judgments [verify]. Per pay period, you can garnish the lesser of:
- 25% of disposable earnings, or
- the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage
"Disposable earnings" means pay left after legally required deductions — taxes and Social Security — not after the debtor's car payment, rent, or 401(k) loan [verify].
Example: a debtor's disposable earnings are $800/week. 25% is $200. The 30×-minimum-wage floor protects $217.50 (at $7.25/hr), leaving $582.50 exposed under the second test — so the lesser amount, $200, is garnished that week. [verify]
Low earners may be entirely protected: if disposable pay is at or below the 30× floor, nothing can be garnished from that check.
How a Georgia wage garnishment runs
Garnishment is a separate proceeding under O.C.G.A. Title 18, Chapter 4 [verify]. You file a garnishment affidavit against the employer (the garnishee), the employer is served and must answer, and withheld funds flow through the court to you.
Georgia's continuing garnishment is the workhorse for wages: once served, it captures pay period after pay period for up to 1,095 days (three years) or until the judgment is satisfied, whichever comes first [verify]. The employer answers periodically and remits what it withholds.
What the debtor can do
The debtor receives notice and can file a claim of exemption — common grounds include income that's exempt by law (Social Security and most federal benefits) or math errors in the withholding. Exemption claims get fast hearings, often within days [verify]. Expect some friction; accurate paperwork and a correct judgment balance win most of these.
Two events stop a garnishment cold: bankruptcy (the automatic stay halts collection immediately — never work around it) and payment in full, including post-judgment interest and costs.
Practical expectations
A $5,000 judgment garnished at ~$200/week clears in about six months of steady employment. Job changes restart the work — the garnishment binds the employer served, so a debtor who switches jobs means a new garnishment against the new employer. Keep skip-tracing until the balance is zero.
Can the debtor be fired for being garnished?
Federal law protects employees from termination for a single garnishment. Protection weakens with multiple garnishments from different debts. [verify]
Do I need to know where the debtor works?
Yes — you serve the employer. Post-judgment discovery, payroll records from the case, or simple research usually surfaces it.
This article is legal information, not legal advice. Statute references are tagged [verify] pending review by a licensed Georgia attorney.
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