• A garnishment is a legal proceeding where a creditor can obtain a judgment on a debt to collect the payment in installments or in full by seizing the debtor’s assets (a bank account, their paycheck, etc.). The most common form of garnishment is wage garnishment. The most common debts for garnishments are: child support, Federal taxes, state taxes, unpaid judgments, student loans, court fines, and even credit card debt. If you do not pay your Federal Taxes or your Child Support they will submit the documentation to the court and get a court order and send it straight to your payroll office. Next thing you know your next paycheck is missing $200.