If you received an Earnings Withholding Order (form WG-002), the other side has a court order that says your work can take up to 20% of your paycheck to pay off the money you owe. This is called wage garnishment.
If wage garnishment means that you can't pay for your family's basic needs, you can ask the court to order the debt collector to stop garnishing your wages or reduce the amount. This is called a Claim of Exemption.
PRINT EMAILYou can file a Claim of Exemption any time after wage garnishment has started, but you'll only get wages back from the time after you submit the claim. If you act quickly, you can stop it before it even starts.
By law, your employer cannot fire you for a single wage garnishment.This tells the court and the other side why you need the exemption.
The explains your financial situation so the judge and other side can see why you need the exemption.
Take or mail the original and 1 copy to the levying officer. You can find out who the levying officer is by looking at the upper right-hand corner of the Earnings Withholding Order (form WG-002). This is usually your local sheriff, but not always. The sheriff (or levying officer) keeps the original and sends a copy to the debt collector.
Your claim is approved. The sheriff will tell your work to stop or lower the amount that comes out of your pay and return any extra money that was taken after you filed your Claim of Exemption .