Losing a portion of your income can be tough, especially if you are going through hard financial times. However, if you are unable to pay your debts, one of the options your creditors can consider is getting into contact with your employer for purposes of making direct deductions from your salary.
Wage garnishment is the legal process in which the court directs that your employer withholds part of your salary to pay off your debts. Specifically, your wage can be garnished in Tennessee if you fail to pay the following debts.
Unpaid alimony and child support debts
If you fall back on child support and alimony payments, the family court may direct your employer to withhold part of your salary in order to pay the owed amount. These domestic support payments are taken seriously by the family court, and failing to honor them can result in severe consequences, including jail time. If you are having trouble making these statutory payments, it is in your best interest that you petition the court for review and modifications.
Consumer debts
If you have fallen behind in your credit and debit card payments, personal loans or even medical bills, then your creditor can petition the court to withhold your salary for purposes of offsetting these debts. The same applies when you have unpaid rent.
Back taxes
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) takes debts owed to the government seriously. If you have unpaid taxes, the IRS will come after your salary in order to collect their money. You can avoid garnishment of your paycheck by contacting the IRS in order to negotiate your tax repayment plan.
No one wants to have their paycheck garnished for one obvious reason: garnishing your wage can worsen your financial situation. Find out how you can safeguard your interests and rights when you are dealing with wage garnishment.
