Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Attachment of earnings is when a person's employer is ordered to deduct a certain amount of money from their wages to pay off a debt or judgment. This is also known as wage-withholding or automatic wage-withholding. In some cases, up to 60% of a person's disposable income can be seized to pay off a debt. Ancillary attachment is when property is seized and held until a resolution is reached in a legal claim. Provisional attachment is when property is seized before a judgment is made to ensure that the creditor will be able to recover their money through the sale of the seized property.
Definition: Attachment of earnings is when a plaintiff seizes a defendant's earnings as an employee to satisfy a judgment. In some cases, the defendant's employer deducts a specified amount or percentage of the defendant's wages or salary and pays it to the court, which then sends the money to the plaintiff.
Example: If a person owes child support or alimony and fails to pay, the court may order an attachment of earnings. The person's employer would then deduct a portion of their wages and send it to the court to be paid to the recipient of the child support or alimony.
This example illustrates how attachment of earnings can be used to enforce court-ordered payments.