By Sean A. Kelly

Credit Card Debt in Georgia is no more common than in other states. If you use them responsibly, credit cards can be a great way to get a financier to fund your cash flow for no interest month by month. Fees may apply. However these may be easily minimized by shopping around. The key word here is responsibly, which means although you are using credit to fund your expenses, its good to be aware that you have or will soon have actual cash to pay for your expenses. Creditors are able to get a judgment for garnishment of wages in Georgia if unpaid credit card bills keep piling up.

A close friend Paul from Atlanta knew that paying the full amount owing on his credit card at the end of the month was the most ideal way to use his credit card optimally. Much easier said than done of course, as some unexpected expenses cropped up and his credit card came in quite handy on these occasions. Paul had a good credit history and his credit card company had given him automatic credit limit increases without him asking for it. Soon Paul owed a sizeable credit card debt. Creditors and debt collectors have a limited time window in which to sue debtors for nonpayment of credit card bills. This limit is set by a state’s statute of limitations (SOL). The SOL for credit card debt in Georgia (open end accounts) is four years.

If you are sued for credit card debt and lose the case or do not appear in court, a judgment may be levied against you. When this happens, the creditor may request a writ of garnishment. This is a legal document that is forwarded to your employer, requiring them to withdraw a certain amount of your disposable income from each paycheck, turning the money over to the creditor until the debt has been paid.

Wage garnishment was a very real fear for Paul who owed debts he was currently unable to pay. Laws are in place, however, to protect him from losing too much disposable income to garnishment. Federal garnishment laws apply to the state of Georgia. Although it can generally be difficult to stop a wage garnishment, Paul has several options available to him against Garnishment of wages in Georgia.

For a start, Federal law restricts Paul’s employer from garnishing more than 25% of disposable income (after-tax pay). Paul may appeal the wage garnishment if he disagrees with it. He may opt to pay the debt off in full as a lump-sum payment or allow the wage garnishment to continue until the debt is satisfied. Paul could declare hardship, if applicable by contacting the issuing institution and explain that the wage garnishment is preventing him from affording the basic necessities of life. An extreme option is for Paul to file for bankruptcy. However it is important to note that this will stay on Paul’s credit report for seven to ten years. So it is wise to use this method as a last resort only.

Once Paul’s debts have been paid off, it may be prudent for him to remain conservative in his spending patterns. This will be easy as the discipline of budgeting and planning would have become a part of his lifestyle to avoid getting into a similar situation again. Support may be available through various sources of debt help in Georgia. These include a Debt Help Savings Center that will help you establish a plan, know your options, start paying off your debt and get a Debt Help Savings Quote.

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Garnishment of wages in GeorgiaCredit card debt in GeorgiaDebt help in Georgia

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