Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Help

Stop Wage Garnishment in Pennsylvania

Reviewed by Sean P. Quinlan, Attorney

Pennsylvania prohibits most wage garnishments for credit-card and medical debt — but support orders, federal and state taxes, federal student loans, and PHEAA loans can all attach a Pennsylvania paycheck. Filing bankruptcy stops dischargeable garnishments immediately and creates a plan to handle the non-dischargeable ones.

What you should know

The automatic stay takes effect the moment we file. Your employer gets a notice within days. Chapter 7 stops the garnishment permanently for dischargeable debt. Chapter 13 stops the garnishment and reroutes the payment through a plan you control.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions

Pennsylvania law generally does not permit consumer-debt wage garnishment, but a creditor can garnish bank accounts and place liens on real estate. Bankruptcy stops both.

No. Domestic-support obligations are not dischargeable and the automatic stay does not affect ongoing support collection. We can address arrears through a Chapter 13 plan in some cases.

Most Pennsylvania filers keep their home and vehicle. We can elect federal bankruptcy exemptions, which protect a significant amount of home equity plus a vehicle, household goods, retirement accounts, and a wildcard for anything else. We walk through your assets before filing so there are no surprises.

We charge a flat attorney fee that is fully disclosed and agreed to before you engage the firm. Court filing fees and the two required credit-counseling courses are separate. Many clients pay the attorney fee in installments before filing.

Chapter 7 stays on your credit report for up to 10 years; Chapter 13 for up to 7 years. In practice most clients see their FICO score improve within 12–24 months because their debt-to-income ratio drops dramatically and they can demonstrate on-time payments on new credit.

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Or request a date and time online — weekdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Prefer to call? (717) 724-7503