Can a debt collector garnish my wages without a court order?

In Tennessee, debt collectors typically cannot garnish your wages without a court order. A court order is a legal document that authorizes a debt collector to take a specific action. In the case of a wage garnishment, the court order would allow the debt collector to take a portion of your wages to pay off the debt. Even if a court order is obtained, there are certain laws in place in Tennessee that limit the amount of money that can be taken from your wages. The amount of wages a debt collector can garnish is limited to 25 percent of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your disposable earnings are greater than 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is lower. Also, a court order is only necessary for non-government debt, such as credit card debt, medical bills, and unpaid loans. If the debt is owed to a government agency, such as for student loans, taxes, or child support, then a court order is not needed to garnish wages. It is important to note that there are certain debts and expenses that a debt collector cannot garnish. These include Social Security payments, child support payments, and payments for disability benefits. In summary, debt collectors in Tennessee typically cannot garnish your wages without a court order. If a court order is obtained, the amount taken from your wages will be limited. However, a court order is not necessary for certain types of government debts.

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Can a debt collector garnish my wages without a court order?

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