The law says they might only get 15%. Check the math.
Federal law — Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act — puts a hard ceiling on what can be taken from your paycheck, and payroll departments blow past it more often than you'd think. Enter your numbers, run the cap engine, and get a defense plan built for your exact situation: court filing, payroll correction, or stabilization.
Step 1 of 4
Your last pay stub has everything on this screen. The cap is calculated from disposable earnings — what's left after legally required taxes — never from your gross.
The full amount before anything comes out — top line of your stub.
Enter your gross pay per paycheck.
Add up only what's legally required: federal + state + local income tax and Social Security / Medicare (FICA). Do not include 401(k), health insurance, union dues, or anything voluntary — the law doesn't count those here.
Enter your mandatory tax deductions (enter 0 if none).
Some states protect more of your check than federal law does. Pick your work state and the engine applies its rule where it's stronger. Child support and tax levies follow their own rules regardless of state.
Step 2 of 4
What kind of order is hitting your check, and how much are they taking right now? Different order types play by completely different rules.
Tax levy details — the IRS exemption math needs these
Child support details — these set your cap percentage
Enter the amount currently being taken (0 if nothing yet).
Enter the percentage currently being taken.
A classic error: payroll calculates the percentage from your gross pay instead of your disposable earnings. That one mistake can cost you hundreds a month.
Step 3 of 4
Here's the most the law allows them to take from each check — and what they're actually taking.
Enter your core monthly essentials — rent, utilities, food, transport, phone, minimums on other bills. We'll measure the guaranteed take-home against them.
Step 4 of 4
Three plays, ranked for your situation. The one marked Start here matches what the Cap Engine found. Add your name and employer below and both documents fill themselves in.
Screenshot this card before you talk to payroll or the court — it has every number you need in the conversation.
A garnishment usually starts with a debt that got out of hand. Map the exit from high-interest balances before the next order lands.
Open the tool → Next toolRebuild each payday around your guaranteed take-home — bills sequenced so the smaller check still covers everything that matters.
Open the tool →The Debt Snowball vs Avalanche Battle Plan and the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Weekly Planner on Gumroad — printable systems to kill the debts behind the garnishment and run every week on purpose.
Get the planners on Gumroad →Disposable earnings are what's left of your pay after only the deductions the law requires — federal, state, and local income taxes, plus Social Security and Medicare (FICA).
Everything voluntary stays in the number: 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, union dues, parking, charitable giving. That's why disposable earnings are almost always higher than your actual take-home pay — and why a garnishment calculated "from the check you actually get" can still be wrong in the other direction. The cap math in this tool uses the legal definition.
For ordinary consumer debt — credit cards, medical bills, personal loans — generally no. A creditor normally has to sue you, win a judgment, and then get a garnishment order. If a consumer garnishment shows up and you were never served with a lawsuit, that's a red flag worth raising with the court immediately — improper service is a common defense.
The big exceptions that don't need a court judgment first: IRS and state tax levies, federal student loans (administrative wage garnishment, after notice and a chance to request a hearing), and child support orders. Those come from the government process, not a lawsuit.
1. Don't ignore it. Most garnishment notices include a Claim of Exemption form and a deadline — often 10–30 days depending on your state and the order type. Missing it can waive rights you'd otherwise have.
2. Check the math. Run your numbers here. If the deduction beats the legal cap, you have a concrete, numbers-based objection — the strongest kind.
3. Talk to payroll in writing. Payroll must follow the order, but they also must follow the law. A written correction memo (Tier 2 above) creates a paper trail a verbal chat doesn't.
4. Protect the essentials. Freeze non-essential spending until you know your guaranteed net, and call any lender whose payment will bounce — a call before a missed payment is worth ten after.