Wage attachment is another term for wage garnishment. It requires an employer to hold back part of an employee’s earnings and send the money toward a debt or legal obligation. It affects money paid through payroll, rather than money already held in a bank account.

In California Family Law

You may hear this term when someone discusses collecting child support, spousal support, or unpaid support called arrears. California support forms usually use terms such as income withholding or earnings assignment.

For example, an order may direct an employer to deduct current support plus an additional amount toward missed payments. The employer follows the payment instructions in the order; the employee does not choose the deduction amount each payday.

The name is less important than the type of order. The rules for collecting support differ from those for collecting an ordinary money judgment. See Wage Withholding for how support payments are taken from a paycheck.