Can My Wife's Bank Account Be Garnished for My Debt?

Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: If you and your wife reside in a community property state, then there is a legitimate risk that a creditor will garnish wages from a joint bank account to pay a debt that only you owe. In general, your spouse’s wages cannot be garnished for a debt you owe if they have a separate checking account held solely in their name. You can prevent wage garnishment by fighting off debt collectors in court with SoloSuit.

If a creditor files a debt collection lawsuit and obtains a judgment against you, the creditor may attempt to retrieve repayment for the outstanding debt by garnishing your wages and/or seizing funds in your checking account. A common question asked by individuals who find themselves in this situation is: “Can a creditor access my wife's bank account to retrieve funds to pay for my debt?” The answer is… it depends.

The ability to garnish an account depends on multiple factors

The ability of a creditor, or debt collector, to garnish your spouse's bank account depends on multiple factors, including the type of account your spouse uses, the nature of the debt, and the state in which you and your spouse reside.

As a general rule, if your spouse has a separate checking account held solely in their name, then a creditor who obtains a judgment against you cannot get a garnishment order to access your spouse's account. However, the answer is different if you and your spouse have funds in a joint checking account.

If you have a joint checking account with your spouse, the ability of a creditor to access that account to satisfy a debt collection judgment depends primarily on whether you and your spouse reside in a common law state or community property state. Let's take a look at each.

Protect your assets by filing a response to debt collection lawsuits with SoloSuit.

Community property states allow wage garnishment of joint bank accounts

If you and your wife reside in a community property state, then there is a legitimate risk that a creditor will be able to access a joint bank account to garnish funds to pay a debt only you owe. This is because community property states have laws on the books that treat the property of one spouse in a marriage as the property of the other spouse.

For example, Texas Family Code Sec. 3.202(c)(d) states:

“(c) The community property subject to a spouse's sole or joint management, control, and disposition is subject to the liabilities incurred by the spouse before or during marriage.
(d) All community property is subject to tortious liability of either spouse incurred during marriage.”

In other words, any property that was accumulated during a marriage may be subject to wage garnishment or other liabilities as a result of only one of the spouse’s debts.

Fortunately, most states do not adhere to community property laws. There are currently only nine community property states in America:

Arizona
California
Idaho
Louisiana
Nevada
New Mexico
Texas
Washington

Let’s consider an example.

Example: Jeff and Suzie live in Arizona, and when Jeff gets sued by LVNV Funding for a debt he owes, he fails to respond before the state deadline. As a result, the court orders a default judgment against him. LVNV Funding is able to access Jeff and Suzie’s join bank account and garnish their wages, including Suzie’s hard-earned cash. This all could have been avoided if Jeff had used SoloSuit to respond to the lawsuit and fight back in court.

Protect your wife's assets from a garnishment

If you reside in a community property state, there are steps you can take to protect your wife and her funds from a garnishment effort sought by your creditors. Specifically, you should maintain separate, independent bank accounts instead of having all your funds in a joint bank account.

Though, it is important to note simply maintaining funds in separate accounts is not a foolproof method to protect your wife's funds. This is because, in many community property states, there are laws on the books that enable a creditor to enforce a judgment by accessing a spouse's bank account since the debt was incurred when you were married and, as a result, the funds in your wife's account are deemed “community debts.”

Respond to debt collectors in 15 minutes with SoloSuit.

Common law property states may protect your spouse from wage garnishment

In contrast to community property states, individuals who reside in common law property states enjoy greater protections from creditor garnishments for funds maintained in a joint bank account. In a common law property state, the general rule is that the debt of each spouse remains their separate responsibility.

However, this general rule is subject to two important exceptions. First, if the debt benefited both spouses, then it may be possible for the creditor to garnish funds maintained in a joint account. Second, if both spouses took out the debt jointly and a judgment was subsequently obtained by a creditor, it exposes the joint account to garnishment.

There are specific funds protected from wage garnishment

It is important to note that even if a creditor secures a garnishment order and has frozen your joint bank account, some funds are protected and cannot be garnished. For example, any funds deposited into the account that are federal benefits (e.g., Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income, or federal retirement benefits) cannot be garnished by a creditor.

As a general rule, if your wife has a separate bank account held solely in their name, then a creditor cannot access that account to garnish funds to pay for your debt. However, if you and your wife have a joint bank account, there is a risk that a creditor could garnish funds in the joint account, even if a judgment is only entered against you.

Nevertheless, the ability of a creditor to garnish a joint bank account will be impacted by the state in which you reside and the funds maintained in that account.

Avoid wage garnishment

If you’ve been sued for a debt, don’t ignore the lawsuit. You can avoid losing and having your wages garnished by simply responding to the case in court. In order to respond to a debt lawsuit, you must draft and file a written Answer into your case.

Be sure to file your Answer before your state’s deadline, otherwise you run the risk of losing automatically when the court orders a default judgment against you. This type of judgment can lead to wage garnishment and other penalties, so it’s important you take action as soon as you receive notice of the lawsuit.

SoloSuit’s Answer form helps you respond to all the claims against you and present your affirmative defenses, giving you a strong case to fight back against debt collectors in court.

Check out this video to learn more about how to respond to a debt lawsuit and avoid wage garnishment:

What is Solo?

Solo makes it easy to resolve debt with debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt. SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

SoloSettle can help you contact your debt collector or creditor and negotiate the debt to settle for less, all online. It simplifies and streamlines the process to settling your debt.

No matter where you find yourself in the debt collection process, Solo is here to help you resolve your debt.

Respond with SoloSuit

Get Started

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Debt collector guides

Are you being contacted by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a great way to legally resolve debt, but it's usually best to consider it as a last resort. Here are some bankruptcy guides to help you decide which debt resolution option is best for you.

Check your case status

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created state guides on how to check the status of your case throughout the US, complete with online search tools and court directories.

Credit

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt, along with other credit-related resources.

Debt collection FAQs

Find answers to some of our the most commonly-asked questions about debt collection below.

Debt collection documents and templates

If you're dealing with debt, these documents and templates will help you respond, protect your rights, negotiate, and resolve your debts.

Debt relief

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt settlement

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created state guides on debt settlement. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

Eviction

Facing an eviction? The following guides will help you navigate your situation with confidence.

Federal debt collection laws

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Legal aid

Helping people find access to justice is at the heart of Solo's misison. If you're dealing with a legal debt issue, the following guides will help you through it.

Medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing with medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Personal finance

Learn how to manage your finances and overcome crushing debt. Check out our personal finance guides below.

State debt collection laws

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote guides on each state’s statutes and more.

Stop collection calls

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Wage garnishment

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in your state, plus other wage garnishment resources.

The Debt Hotline

Hosted by Team Solo, The Debt Hotline breaks down debt and personal finance topics with help from attorneys, financial experts, and industry pros. We respond to real questions to help you navigate debt with knowledge and courage.

Other debt resources

It only takes 15 minutes.

And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.

"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" - Heather