Receiving a garnishment notice in Georgia can feel overwhelming, but the law gives you meaningful tools to fight back. Georgia's garnishment statutes under Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) Title 18, Chapter 4 provide several mechanisms to challenge a garnishment order — from claiming income exemptions to filing a formal legal challenge called a traverse. Acting promptly is critical, as Georgia's procedures have strict deadlines. For details on other states, check out our state pages.
Understanding Georgia's Garnishment Process
In Georgia, before a creditor can garnish your wages, they must have obtained a court judgment against you. Once they have that judgment, they file a Summons of Garnishment with the court, which is then served on your employer. Your employer is required to respond within 45 days. Georgia garnishment is limited to the federal CCPA maximums: 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50 per week), whichever is less. You can compare garnishment limits among states using our state comparison tool.
Filing a Claim of Exemption
Georgia law exempts Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, and most public assistance payments entirely from garnishment. To claim an exemption, file a written notice with the court where the garnishment was filed, identifying the specific income source and the applicable exemption statute. The creditor has the right to contest your claim, in which case the court will schedule a hearing. For guidance on exemption procedures, see our blog post How to File a Wage Garnishment Exemption.
Filing a Traverse: Challenging the Garnishment Itself
A traverse is a formal denial that the garnishment is valid. Under OCGA § 18-4-87, you can file a traverse asserting that the garnishment order is legally defective, that the underlying judgment was obtained improperly, that the debt has already been paid, or that the amount claimed is incorrect. A traverse must be filed within 20 days of the date the garnishment summons was served on your employer. Common grounds include improper service of the original lawsuit, the statute of limitations having expired (Georgia's statute of limitations for written contracts is six years), or mathematical errors in the amount claimed. Learn more about challenging garnishments in our article How to Stop Wage Garnishment in Florida, which offers useful general principles applicable in Georgia.
Need Help Beyond the Calculator?
If you're dealing with a wage garnishment order in Georgia and need personalized assistance, professional help may be the fastest path forward. Visit our Resources page to explore vetted options for legal help.
Use our Georgia Wage Garnishment Calculator to see how much of your paycheck is currently at risk before taking action. You can also explore calculators for other states like California Wage Garnishment Calculator, Texas Wage Garnishment Calculator, and Florida Wage Garnishment Calculator. For additional insights, check out How Much Can Be Garnished From My Paycheck? and Can My Employer Fire Me for Wage Garnishment?.