One day you check your paycheck and the number is wrong. Not a little wrong — significantly less than what you expected. That’s when you find out: your wages are being garnished.

Wage garnishment happens when a creditor gets a court order to take money directly from your paycheck before you even see it. It can feel like there’s absolutely nothing you can do.

But that’s not true.

There are limits on how much can be taken.

Federal law caps garnishment at 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount by which your weekly income exceeds 30 times the federal minimum wage — whichever is less. Some states have even stricter limits.

You may be able to claim an exemption.

If the garnishment creates a genuine hardship — you can’t pay rent, buy groceries, or cover basic necessities — you can file a claim of exemption with the court.

The underlying judgment may have problems.

Sometimes the original lawsuit was handled improperly, or you were never properly served. If there are legal defects in the judgment, it may be possible to get the garnishment set aside.

Acting quickly matters.

The sooner you respond, the more options you have. Waiting only makes things harder.

If money is being taken from your paycheck and you don’t know what to do, Lincoln Law Center can help. We’ve helped families across 30+ states stop or reduce garnishments — and we don’t charge anything unless we get results.