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Training For Maryland Garnishment Law Requirements

Training For Maryland Garnishment Law Requirements

Maryland Wage Garnishment RulesWhat Is A Garnishment?

A wage garnishment is any legal or equitable procedure through which some portion of a person's earnings is required to be withheld by an employer for the payment of a debt.

The six basic types of garnishments are child support, federal, state, or local levies, creditor garnishments, and student loans, with the largest amount of garnishments being for child support.

Employer Guidelines For Handling Garnishments

Employers generally have to notify the debtor in writing that a wage garnishment is about to start before making a garnishment and sending payments to the creditor. The wage garnishment then typically continues until the debts are paid off or otherwise resolved. Employers are required to provide employees with a copy of garnishment paperwork.

Maryland Wage Garnishment Rules

In Maryland, wage garnishment follows the same general process as is used in most states for wage garnishment. The following is a list of common Maryland garnishments:
  • Court-ordered child support
  • Past-due alimony or spousal support
  • Federal, state, and local income taxes and fines
  • State property taxes
  • Defaulted student loans
Re child support orders, the maximum amount that can be withheld runs between 50 (if the employee is supporting another spouse and/or children) and 65% (if the employee is not supporting another spouse and/or children and is at least 12 weeks in arrears in making support payments).

Re levies, which are judgments from creditors, many states apply the "25-30" rule, meaning:
  • The "25 Rule"
    The wage garnishment order cannot take more 25% of the employee's "disposable earnings"
  • The "30 Rule"
    The wage garnishment order can only take amounts over 30 times the federal minimum wage
Employers in states using the "25-30" rule should note that the wage garnishment cannot exceed the lesser of the two options.

About Child Support Garnishments

With regard to child support garnishments, all states are required to use the "Order/Notice To Withhold Income For Child Support" notice for Child Support. This notice is designed to provide employers with key information so that they do not have to decipher unfamiliar orders/notices from different states. Click here for details on this notice, and see below for suggested steps to process this notice.

Suggested Steps To Process The Income-Withholding Order/Notice

Upon receipt of the Order/Notice to Withhold Income for Child Support, the employer should:
  • Document the date of receipt
  • Determine if the order is "regular on its face" (that is, it appears to be an authentic and complete legal document)
  • Provide a copy of the Order/Notice to the employee if it has been issued by another state, and
  • Follow the terms of the order
Employers should note that they cannot contest the income-withholding order; however, the employer should contact the issuing agency if unable to implement the withholding either because the individual named in the order is not an employee or a withholding is already in place for the child and employee. Additionally, employers should note that states often have varying garnishment rules, so they should be sure to know the payroll wage garnishments rules for the state(s) in which it does business.

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Contact Info For Maryland Garnishments Law

410-260-7980






References and Disclaimers

This information is based on a variety of state laws and regulations, and is subject to change. The PayrollTrainingCenter makes every effort to make sure this information is current and accurate, however, the PayrollTrainingCenter is not engaged in rendering legal or professional advice and shall not be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained herein.

https://www.garnishmentlaws.org/maryland-garnishment-laws/
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maryland-wage-garnishment-laws.html
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