Companies in Berks County often have their hands full processing wage garnishments when they do payroll. A study produced by the ADP Research Institute examined payroll records and identified trends in wage garnishment. These court orders that require collections of child support, back taxes or other debts directly from paychecks overwhelmingly affect men. Among people having their wages garnished, 71 percent of them are men. Child support is the leading cause of these types of court orders.
Wage garnishments strike most often to people between 35 and 54. The institute’s data analysis showed that 62 percent of people with payroll deductions fell into this age group. Different industries have different levels of employees with debt obligations. Wage garnishments apply to 26 percent of men between the ages of 35 and 55 who work at large manufacturing companies in the Midwest. Service sector companies might have as few as 7 percent of their workers affected by garnishments.
Among those owing child support, research indicated that more of them tend to work at small companies than large ones. Nationwide, 7 percent of workers have money taken directly from their paychecks until the obligations are fully paid. Although child support causes the most garnishments, 12 percent of workers pay toward multiple types of obligations, which could include unpaid taxes.
The failure to pay child support could result in a severe financial situation for both parents as well as the child. However, there are some noncustodial parents who become unable to fully meet their obligations due to an unexpected financial downturn such as a medical emergency or job loss. They might want to have an attorney’s help in filing a motion for an order modification with the court.