Legal Definitions - attachment of wages

Definition: Attachment of wages is when a plaintiff seizes a defendant's earnings as an employee to satisfy a judgment. In some cases, the court orders the defendant's employer to deduct a specific amount or percentage of the defendant's wages or salary and pay it to the court, which then sends the money to the plaintiff.

Example: If a person owes money to another person or company and fails to pay, the creditor can go to court and get a judgment against the debtor. If the debtor still does not pay, the creditor can request an attachment of wages. This means that the court orders the debtor's employer to withhold a portion of the debtor's wages and send it to the court to pay off the debt. For example, if the debtor earns $1,000 per week and the court orders a 25% attachment of wages, the employer would withhold $250 from the debtor's paycheck and send it to the court until the debt is paid off.

Explanation: Attachment of wages is a legal process that allows a creditor to collect a debt from a debtor's earnings. The court orders the debtor's employer to withhold a portion of the debtor's wages and send it to the court to pay off the debt. This process ensures that the creditor receives payment for the debt owed.