Garnishing Wages

[annalee]

We live in Texas.
My husband has completed paying back child support thru the court system in Texas. Evidently the ex-wife went thru Child Support Network Services out Arizona. ChildSupport Network Services sent a letter to his place of employment wanting to garnish his wages. It was over $17,000 in finance charge. There was no court order attached. Is this legal.

[lwpat]

My understanding is that they are basically a collection service. Garnishment of wages is only possible through a court order. I do not know anything about them specifically but collection agencies in general are known for not following the law. You can contact the court for information on any amounts that may be owed.

[Xena]

We live in Texas.
My husband has completed paying back child support thru the court system in Texas. Evidently the ex-wife went thru Child Support Network Services out Arizona. ChildSupport Network Services sent a letter to his place of employment wanting to garnish his wages. It was over $17,000 in finance charge. There was no court order attached. Is this legal.

No, it is not legal. First, there must be a court order that includes a provision for garnishment. Second, a copy of the court order/income deduction order must be attached to the letter sent to the employer. Third, and most importantly, only a state IV-D CS enforcement agency can garnish wages.

I get the impression that the letter was from a private CS collection agency, NOT a state CSE agency, correct?

If that's correct, your husband needs to contact the state CSE agency to have them look into it.