Last Updated September 19, 2026
For an ordinary judgment, Georgia law generally limits garnishment to the lesser of the applicable percentage of disposable earnings or the amount above the statutory earnings floor. Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act limits also apply. With the current $7.25 federal minimum wage, the federal 30-hour weekly floor is $217.50, matching the dollar amount currently used by Georgia law.
For a judgment arising from a private student loan as defined by Georgia law, the Georgia percentage cap is 15 percent rather than 25 percent. Federal administrative wage garnishment for qualifying federal student-loan debt is a separate federal process and is not calculated by this tool.
Brock & Stout handles Georgia consumer bankruptcy through Columbus. Read Georgia wage garnishment for procedure.
Interactive tool
Data last verified: 2026-09-19. Calculation version 2026.09.1.
How the calculation works
For each pay period, the tool applies the applicable Georgia percentage cap and earnings-floor limitation together with the federal CCPA limit. The estimate uses the most protective applicable maximum garnishment amount. The current $7.25 federal minimum wage produces a $217.50 weekly federal floor.
What this result does not tell you
It does not estimate continuing-support garnishments under Article 3. It does not tell you how long a 1,095-day continuing garnishment has left. It does not apply to bank accounts.
Relevant legal rules
O.C.G.A. § 18-4-5 sets the disposable-earnings cap. § 18-4-4 sets the garnishment period, including 1,095 days for continuing garnishment. Federal CCPA still sits underneath as a ceiling for ordinary debts.
Example
On a $600 weekly disposable paycheck, 25% is $150 and the amount over $217.50 is $382.50, so the ordinary estimate is $150. The same paycheck on a private student-loan judgment is 15%, or $90, if that is still less than the excess over $217.50.
What you may want to do next
If payroll has already been served, bring the garnishment papers and recent paystubs to a consultation. Filing a bankruptcy petition generally triggers the automatic stay and can pause most ordinary prepetition judgment garnishments, subject to statutory exceptions and prior-case rules. Prompt employer notice remains important in practice.
How Brock & Stout can help
Our Columbus bankruptcy team can review the Georgia judgment and garnishment, explain how the automatic stay may apply, and provide prompt notice to the employer and other affected parties after filing.
Related resources
- Georgia wage garnishment — Georgia wage garnishment
Title 18 procedure plus the stay.
- Stop wage garnishment — Stop wage garnishment
How bankruptcy reaches payroll.
- Alabama calculator — Alabama calculator
Separate module. Not this statute.
- Georgia bankruptcy — Georgia bankruptcy
Exemptions, courts, and Columbus practice.
FAQs
Yes. Georgia law permits a continuing garnishment period of up to 1,095 days from service, subject to the statute and other events that can terminate or affect the garnishment. Bankruptcy can separately affect continued collection through the automatic stay.
No. Use this page. The statutes are different even when the 25% number looks familiar.
Want to know what these numbers mean for your situation?
Talk with a Brock & Stout bankruptcy attorney. We can review the garnishment, lawsuit, or foreclosure paperwork with you. We cannot promise a particular result.
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