Stop Wage Garnishment in Alaska

Sarah Edwards | April 13, 2023

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Suffering from financial problems can cause severe stress and anxiety. You know you need to pay your bills, but you may be unable to. Perhaps you’re out of work or dealing with medical issues. Whatever the cause, you must take action to prevent a debt lawsuit and potential wage garnishment.

Creditors will seek to garnish your wages if they win a debt lawsuit against you. A successful debt lawsuit gives creditors a judgment, which they can use to collect money from you until you satisfy your debt.

The laws concerning wage garnishment in Alaska

Every state has its own way of dealing with people behind on their obligations.

Under Alaskan law, creditors can garnish your wages according to federal guidelines in 15 U.S.C. § 1673. The maximum amount of the garnishment is the lesser of these two numbers:

• 25% of your disposable weekly earnings.
• The amount of disposable weekly wages exceeding 30 times the federal minimum wage.

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Your disposable weekly earnings are the amount remaining after taxes and other deductions required by law.

Alaska provides all residents a base exemption of $350 weekly under AK Stat § 09.38.030. That means debtors must collect at least $350 from their weekly pay; this amount is exempt from wage garnishment.

Unlike other states, Alaska allows creditors to garnish certain unearned income, like disability benefits, pensions, and unemployment benefits. Alimony is also subject to wage garnishment.

If a creditor successfully wins a judgment against you, you can file for an exemption in addition to the standard $350 under AK Stat § 09.38.050. People with money acquired due to an injury or disability may qualify for an additional exemption at the court’s discretion.

Let’s consider an example.

Henry could have avoided wage garnishment if he had communicated with his creditors, arranged a repayment plan, or settled the debt before his court date.

Settle your debt to avoid wage garnishment

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a debt lawsuit, don’t ignore it. If your relationship with a creditor deteriorates to the point that the creditor takes legal action, you’ll need to respond.

Your first step is to file an Answer in response to the creditor’s Complaint. An Answer allows you to explain your reasons for not paying the debt. You can use various defenses; for example, maybe the debt has passed the statute of limitations or wasn’t validated properly.

You'll still want to file an Answer even if you know you owe the debt. An Answer prevents the court from granting your creditor a default judgment against you.

This video covers three steps you can follow to file an Answer:

Your next step is to attempt to settle your debt. Determine how much you can afford to pay your creditors. Check your bank balance, look for savings under your mattress, ask friends for help—just try to gather as much money as possible for a settlement. The more you can offer the creditor, the greater your chances of settling the debt before your court date.

Is a creditor suing you for unpaid debt in Alaska? Use SoloSettle to negotiate a settlement.

Don’t ignore a debt lawsuit in Alaska

Creditors can’t garnish your wages arbitrarily; they have to sue you first. If you don’t defend yourself or settle the debt before your court date, they could win a judgment, which they can use to garnish your wages.

Wage garnishment can take a significant portion of your income, which affects your ability to pay for other things, like rent. Take action quickly before it’s too late.

We can help you settle an Alaska debt lawsuit before your court date. Try SoloSettle today, and get rid of your debt.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight 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.

>>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 your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

All 50 states.

• Alabama
• Alaska
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• Colorado
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• Texas
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Guides on how to beat every debt collector

Being sued by a different debt collector? Were making guides on how to beat each one.

• Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC
• Accredited Collection Services
• Alliance One
• Amcol Clmbia
• American Recovery Service
• Asset Acceptance LLC
• Asset Recovery Solutions
• Associated Credit Services
• Autovest LLC
• Cach LLC
• Cavalry SPV I LLC
• Cerastes LLC
• Colinfobur
• Covington Credit
• Crown Asset Management
• CTC Debt Collector
• Cypress Financial Recoveries
• Delanor Kemper & Associates
• Eagle Loan of Ohio
• Educap
• Estate Information Services
• FIA Card Services
• Forster & Garbus
• Freshview Solutions
• Fulton Friedman & Gullace LLP
• Harvest Credit Management
• Howard Lee Schiff
• Hudson & Keyse LLC
• Integras Capital Recovery LLC
• Javitch Block
• Jefferson Capital Systems LLC
• LVNV Funding
• Mannbracken
• Mariner Finance
• Medicredit
• Michael J Adams PC
• Michael J Scott
• Midland Funding LLC
• Mullooly, Jeffrey, Rooney & Flynn
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• MRS Associates
• National Collegiate Trust
• Nationstar Foreclosure
• Northstar Capital Acquisition
• NCEP LLC
• NRC Collection Agency
• OneMain Financial
• Palisades Collection LLC
• Pallida LLC
• Paragon Revenue Group
• Pinnacle Collections Agency
• PMAB LLC
• Portfolio Recovery Associates
• Provest Law
• PYOD LLC
• Reunion Student Loan Finance Corporation
• Revenue Group
• Regents and Associates
• RSIEH
• Salander Enterprises LLC
• Second Round Sub LLC
• Security Credit Services
• Sherman Financial Group
• Suttell and Hammer
• T-Mobile
• Transworld Systems
• Tulsa Teachers Credit Union
• UCB Collection
• Velo Law Office
• Velocity Investments
• Waypoint Resource Group
• Weinberg and Associates
• Wolpoff & Abramson

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Is your credit card company suing you? Learn how you can beat each one.

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• Chase
• Credit One Bank
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