Stop Wage Garnishments Immediately | Mount Vernon Bankruptcy Lawyers | Bankruptcy Attorneys in Washington State

Need to stop a wage garnishment? A Washington State bankruptcy stops all garnishment actions. Learn how a Mount Vernon bankruptcy lawyer can help.

Once your debt problems get to the point that your wages are being garnished, you are probably in serious trouble. Even with a fairly high income, it is very difficult to make ends meet when 25% of your net wages are being garnished. Most likely this will cause you to default on other loans if you haven’t already. At that point climbing out of debt can be an endless struggle.

Creditors can also garnish bank accounts. Sometimes they can ask for a bank account to be frozen while they try to obtain a judgment. A bankruptcy filing will release those funds. If a creditor is in the process of suing you but has not attached a bank account yet, a bankruptcy filing will stop that process.

The automatic stay in bankruptcy stops garnishments as soon as the case is filed. It is possible to get a refund of garnishments taken up to sixty days before the case was filed. Even if a debt can not be discharged at the end of a bankruptcy, garnishments have to stop while the case is active.

Before a creditor can garnish wages or a bank account, it has to file a lawsuit against you and obtain a judgment. If you receive a summons and complaint for money due, you should answer it right away. If you ignore it, the creditor may be able to obtain a default judgment against you. If you answer the complaint, you will at least have your day in court.

If you know you owe the money most likely the creditor will obtain a judgment for the debt, costs and attorneys fees. The legal fees incurred as a part of the garnishment process may make it seem like the debt never goes down. Of course, while you are being garnished, other debt can get out of control.

If this is happening to you, bankruptcy should be a serious option. It is best to talk to a bankruptcy attorney well before the garnishment starts – at least right after you receive the summons and complaint or your bank account is frozen.

Of course, it’s better to be prepared before a debt is even referred to an attorney for collections. It usually takes months of being in default before it gets to the point of a lawsuit being filed, so it shouldn’t be a big surprise.

Once your debt problems get to the point that your wages are being garnished, you are probably in serious trouble. Even with a fairly high income, it is very difficult to make ends meet when 25% of your net wages are being garnished. Most likely this will cause you to default on other loans if you haven’t already. At that point climbing out of debt can be an endless struggle.

Creditors can also garnish bank accounts. Sometimes they can ask for a bank account to be frozen while they try to obtain a judgment. A bankruptcy filing will release those funds. If a creditor is in the process of suing you but has not attached a bank account yet, a bankruptcy filing will stop that process.

The automatic stay in bankruptcy stops garnishments as soon as the case is filed. It is possible to get a refund of garnishments taken up to sixty days before the case was filed. Even if a debt can not be discharged at the end of a bankruptcy, garnishments have to stop while the case is active.

Before a creditor can garnish wages or a bank account, it has to file a lawsuit against you and obtain a judgment. If you receive a summons and complaint for money due, you should answer it right away. If you ignore it, the creditor may be able to obtain a default judgment against you. If you answer the complaint, you will at least have your day in court.

If you know you owe the money most likely the creditor will obtain a judgment for the debt, costs and attorneys fees. The legal fees incurred as a part of the garnishment process may make it seem like the debt never goes down. Of course, while you are being garnished, other debt can get out of control.

If this is happening to you, bankruptcy should be a serious option. It is best to talk to a bankruptcy attorney well before the garnishment starts – at least right after you receive the summons and complaint or your bank account is frozen.

Of course, it’s better to be prepared before a debt is even referred to an attorney for collections. It usually takes months of being in default before it gets to the point of a lawsuit being filed, so it shouldn’t be a big surprise.