The prospect of having to garnish an employee’s wages isn’t a pleasant thought, yet it’s a situation that many employers face. As with any onerous task, the more prepared you are, the better. Let’s look at some basic facts about the process. Various types The word “garnishment” is defined as any legal or equitable procedure through which an individual’s earnings are required, under a court order, to be withheld for payment of a debt. This may include: Creditor garnishments, Child support, Garnishments to repay nontax debts owed to the federal government, Student loan garnishments, and Tax levies. As a garnishment, wage withholding for child support usually takes priority over the other types. There are both federal and state laws covering garnishment. For those issued at the state level, the law that’s most beneficial to the employee is generally followed. However, for garnishments issued at the federal level, state law typically takes a back seat to federal law. (Voluntary wage assign...