Washington Code 74.20A.090 – Certain amount of earnings exempt from lien or order — “Earnings” and “disposable earnings” defined
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Whenever a support lien or order to withhold and deliver is served upon any person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state asserting a support debt against earnings and there is in the possession of such person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state, any such earnings, RCW 6.27.150 shall not apply, but fifty percent of the disposable earnings shall be exempt and may be disbursed to the debtor whether such earnings are paid, or to be paid weekly, monthly, or at other intervals and whether there be due the debtor earnings for one week or for a longer period. The lien or order to withhold and deliver shall continue to operate and require said person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state to withhold the nonexempt portion of earnings at each succeeding earnings disbursement interval until the entire amount of the support debt stated in the lien or order to withhold and deliver has been withheld. As used in this chapter, the term “earnings” means compensation paid or payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law making such payments exempt from garnishment, attachment, or other process to satisfy support obligation, specifically includes periodic payments pursuant to pension or retirement programs, or insurance policies of any type, but does not include payments made under Title 50 RCW, except as provided in RCW 50.40.020 and 50.40.050 or Title 74 RCW. Earnings shall specifically include all gain derived from capital, from labor, or from both combined, not including profit gained through sale or conversion of capital assets. The term “disposable earnings” means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amount required by law to be withheld.
[ 1982 1st ex.s. c 18 § 12. Prior: 1982 c 201 § 21; 1979 ex.s. c 171 § 10; 1973 1st ex.s. c 183 § 10; 1971 ex.s. c 164 § 9.]
NOTES:
Severability—Conflict with federal requirements—1982 1st ex.s. c 18: See notes following RCW 50.12.200.
Severability—1979 ex.s. c 171: See note following RCW 74.20.300.
Terms Used In Washington Code 74.20A.090
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Department: means the state department of social and health services. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
- disposable earnings: means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amount required by law to be withheld. See Washington Code 74.20A.090
- earnings: means compensation paid or payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law making such payments exempt from garnishment, attachment, or other process to satisfy support obligation, specifically includes periodic payments pursuant to pension or retirement programs, or insurance policies of any type, but does not include payments made under Title 50 RCW, except as provided in RCW 50. See Washington Code 74.20A.090
- Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
- State: means any state or political subdivision, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
- Support debt: means any delinquent amount of support moneys which is due, owing, and unpaid under a superior court order or an administrative order, a debt for the payment of expenses for the reasonable or necessary care, support, and maintenance, including medical expenses, of a dependent child or other person for whom a support obligation is owed; or a debt under RCW 74. See Washington Code 74.20A.020