.png)
Thousands of cases, millions of results
Bank Garnishments – Freezing and Seizing Funds
When it comes to enforcing a judgment, there’s no reason to choose between garnishing wages or bank accounts — we pursue both. Wage garnishments provide steady, reliable recovery over time. Bank garnishments, on the other hand, can deliver immediate impact by freezing funds already in the debtor’s account. Together, they form a powerful one-two punch. If there’s money to be had, we’re going after it — from every angle.
Sit back, we've got this
Bank garnishments have multiple steps and technical requirements. Any misstep – like serving the wrong address, miscalculating an amount, missing a court form – can delay or derail the process. Some consequences of mistakes can forever limit recovery. That’s where Garnishment Gurus takes the burden off you. We handle all paperwork, filings, and follow-up meticulously, so the garnishment runs like a well-oiled machine. Our experience with thousands of cases means we know the common pitfalls and tricks to streamline the procedure and ensure the process stays on the rails even when others try to derail it.
Your Partner Through the Process: While the legal steps above might seem daunting, we guide our clients through each one. We also keep open communication during the garnishment:
-
You’ll know when the writ is filed and served.
-
We inform you when the bank responds and how much they report will be withheld.
-
We let you know if the debtor files an exemption claim and challenge it if appropriate to do so.
-
After the required waiting period we move swiftly to get the court’s order to release the money. Essentially, you won’t be in the dark at any point.
Why Choose Garnishment Gurus for Bank Garnishment?
The straightforward appearance is sometimes more of an appearance than a reality. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. We've been collecting debt and enforcing judgments for many years. It is always a mix of science and art with efficiency and perseverance as base requirements. You focus on what you do great, and we'll focus on getting you the money you are owed to keep doing it.
-
Proper procedure must be followed to the letter of the law. If the bank doesn’t respond, do you move for default against the garnishee? If the debtor claims an exemption, what next? We have those answers at the ready. Just as importantly, we do the work. Having the book knowledge for how to collect a debt is a small part of the
-
We know the nuances of Washington garnishment law, such as the difference between garnishing for a consumer debt vs. other debts . Our expertise ensures compliance with each nuanced situation.
-
In short, we not only make the process easy for you, we often make it possible – many judgments go uncollected simply because creditors don’t know the procedures or don’t have the time to chase them. We do, and we love doing it. As one of our guiding principles states, “If it is unpaid, we try to make it paid.”
We live in this space. Likely, you found this website because you were looking for reliable information. Make sure your future writs come from a reliable source. If our approach doesn't feel right to you, that's fine - comfort with your attorneys matters. If not us, then be sure to find another firm that focuses on debt collection. Not someone who dabbles in bankruptcy, traffic tickets, and then pivots to motorcycle crashes in the span of a week. Find someone with a degree of focus.
Wage Garnishment vs. Bank Garnishment – Which to use?
Often, we will pursue both in due course. A bank garnishment can sometimes yield a quick win – if the debtor has money sitting in their bank, a one-time garnishment of the account could grab a lump sum in one go. However, debtors often don’t keep large balances. Wage garnishment ensures we tap into the debtor’s ongoing earning power. It’s common to start with a bank garnishment (for a potential immediate payout) and then follow with a wage garnishment for any remaining balance. Or do both at the same time for larger judgments. Our strategy will depend on the information we gather on the debtor’s assets, but generally if a bank account is known or suspected to have funds in it, then we generally recommend garnishing it as well.
What does it cost?
Bank garnishment involves some court fees (filing the writ typically costs a filing fee, e.g. $20), certified mail costs ($30), and some other costs tend to bring the case expenses to around $100. Most of our clients pay attorney fees only if we collect.
Ready to Garnish and Get Paid?
If you have a Washington judgment, don’t wait. The sooner we start a garnishment, the sooner you start recovering money. Contact Garnishment Gurus today. We’ll evaluate your judgment, discuss what information we need (like debtor’s workplace – if you aren’t sure, we’ll help find out), and get the ball rolling on turning that judgment into real dollars in your pocket. This is all we do, and we’re eager to do it for you.
Not always a quick knockout
Bank garnishments have two limitations that limit their success. First, they can be a "hit or miss" solution. Second, the law provides automatic limitations.
A bank garnishment takes only what is in the account at the exact moment the writ is served. The concern is less about the debtor guessing that a bank is going to get garnished and draining money and more about a debtor having recently made a large purchase.
In fact, a bank garnishment actually only takes what is in the account at the exact moment minus the protected amounts. Generally, the law takes the position that a debtor should pay his or her debts, but also that a debtor should not be made homeless and penniless to satisfy those debts. Thus, bank and wage garnishments can only take so much money and must leave certain amounts behind. Further, some sources of money are also protected (retirement and child support being the most common). The protected funds are referred to as "exempt."
-
General debt: $500
-
Consumer debt: $2,000
-
Private student loan debt: $2,500
Step 5: Judgment on Answer & Order to Pay We then prepare a motion for Judgment on Garnishee’s Answer (often combined with an Order to Pay). This is a request for the court to review everything and formally order the bank to hand over the withheld money. We attach proof: the bank's answer, proof of service, and a calculation of any accrued interest or allowable attorney fee (Washington allows up to $300 in attorney fees for a garnishment, which we add to the judgment when appropriate). The court signs an order directing the employer to pay the funds (either directly to us as your attorneys, or to the court who then disburses to us – practices vary slightly by county). In the larger counties this motion is ruled on within 0-2 days.
Step 8: Collection of Funds and Next Steps The bank, upon receiving the order, will send the funds for the garnishment. We receive those funds and promptly forward them to you (minus any contingency fee or costs depending on our agreement). We’ll also file a partial satisfaction of judgment with the court for the amount collected, as required by law, and update you on the remaining balance (if any). If a balance remains, we evaluate the next steps.
Step 3: Serve the Bank and the Debtor Once issued, the writ and a packet of documents must be formally served on the bank (garnishee). The packet includes the writ itself and other required forms: an Answer form for the garnishee, a Notice of Garnishment and Your Rights for the debtor, and Exemption claim forms. We also mail copies to the debtor so they are notified (this is legally required). Proper service is critical – if it’s done wrong, the garnishment can fail.
Step 4: Bank Answer The bank is required to immediately withhold funds upon receipt of the writ, and then within 20 days to answer how much money is withheld. Banks are required to follow the exemption amounts required by law including investigating if the account has protected funds and to keep them protected. The answer will show how much money the bank believes is not exempt and subject to garnishment.
Step 1. Apply for the Writ of Garnishment. We draft an Application for Writ of Garnishment and submit it to the court that issued your judgment. This application provides details: the case info, the amount owed (including judgment balance, interest, and allowable costs/fees), and the name/address of the debtor’s bank.
Step 2: Court Clerk Issues the Writ The court reviews the application (mostly checking that it’s filled out correctly and the judgment is valid). The clerk then issues a Writ of Garnishment directed to the employer. We typically get this turned around quickly – often the same or next day from filing.
How the bank garnishment process works
What is a bank garnishment
A bank garnishment is a legal mechanism to take money directly from a debtor’s bank account to satisfy a judgment. In Washington State, once you have a court judgment saying someone owes you money, you can ask the court to issue a Writ of Garnishment directed to the debtor’s bank (the “garnishee”). This writ is essentially a court order telling the bank two things:
-
Disclose the Debtor’s Funds: The bank must inform us (the creditor’s attorneys) how much money they hold for the debtor (how much they are “indebted” to the debtor).
-
Freeze and Hold Those Funds: The bank is commanded not to release that money to the debtor, but instead to hold it so it can be paid to the creditor to satisfy the judgment. Depending on the type of debt changes how much money must be left for the debtor. That amount that must be left is called exempt property.
Simply put, a bank garnishment temporarily freezes the debtor’s account, and if done correctly, ultimately redirects the money in that account to you, the judgment creditor.
In Washington, bank garnishments (like all garnishments) are governed by RCW 6.27, and additional exemption laws (RCW 6.15.010) protect certain amounts and types of funds from seizure.
Why garnish a bank account?
For judgment creditors, the goal is always to collect as much as possible, as soon as possible. Bank garnishments can sometimes achieve that goal faster than any other method:
-
Immediate Lump-Sum Recovery: If the debtor has money in the bank, a garnishment can capture a chunk of funds all at once. Unlike wage garnishments that collect in installments over time, a bank garnishment is a one-time hit – it seizes whatever is in the account at the moment of service. This means you could potentially collect thousands of dollars within a few weeks, rather than waiting months for incremental payments.
-
High Yield Potential: Think of scenarios like a debtor receiving an insurance payout, selling a property, getting a bonus, or even just accruing savings – those funds often sit in a bank account. A well-timed garnishment can capture windfalls. As our current site notes, “Bank accounts are excellent sources of recovery” because they might hold significant money that can be taken to satisfy your judgment.
-
Quick Execution: From the day the writ is served on the bank, they typically must respond within about 20 days, and if they are holding funds, the court can order those funds turned over to you shortly thereafter. In many cases, you could see money in hand in as little as 4-6 weeks from starting the process – much faster than most other enforcement methods.
-
Minimal Ongoing Effort: A bank garnishment either pays off or it doesn’t – it’s a decisive action. There’s no need to monitor it for 60 days (as with a continuing wage garnishment) because it grabs what it can and then concludes. If it fails (say the account was empty), you’re free to immediately try other enforcement routes without waiting.