Last Updated September 19, 2026
Georgia uses continuing garnishment for wages after a judgment. The maximum for ordinary debts is the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which those earnings exceed $217.50. That dollar figure is written into O.C.G.A. § 18-4-5. If the federal minimum wage changes, this tool still uses $217.50 until the Georgia General Assembly amends the statute.
If the judgment arose from a private student loan, Georgia uses 15% instead of 25%. Federal student-loan administrative wage garnishment is a different federal program — pick that category and you will get an explanation, not a made-up number.
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
Enter disposable earnings for one pay period. For a weekly check the floor is the statutory $217.50. For other pay periods the Code uses a proportionate multiple of 30 hours at $7.25. The tool takes the lesser of the percentage cap and the amount above that 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 summons and paystubs to a consultation. Filing bankruptcy can stay most ordinary garnishments after notice.
How Brock & Stout can help
The Columbus bankruptcy team reviews Georgia garnishments, files when you proceed, and notifies the employer. We cannot promise a given paycheck will be uncut.
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. A continuing garnishment can run up to 1,095 days from service on the employer. That is one reason a bankruptcy filing can be urgent once payroll is hit.
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.