Money & Debt

The first step is to complete the citation to the employer. Our Collect a judgment from the debtor’s bank or employer Easy Form program can help. 

The form must contain the employer’s correct legal name. This information can be found by calling the employer. If they are an Illinois entity, they may be listed in the Illinois Secretary of State business entity search.

The completed citation must be served on the debtor A person who owes money to someone else 's employer:

• If the employer is a person, server that person, or
• If the employer is a company, serve Giving court documents to someone an office or registered agent The person who receives notice of legal actions when a corporation is sued . 

Use the Illinois Secretary of State’s search to find the office or registered agent.

A debtor's employer may be served by a sheriff A county officer who can serve people with summons. They can evict someone with a court order. , a private process server Someone other than a sheriff who serves a summons , or certified mail A document delivery service such as the US Postal Service that sends a party a receipt as proof that the documents were mailed and delivered .

The person serving the citation must send a copy of the citation to the debtor by regular first-class mail within three days after the service on the employer. If the citation is served on the employer by certified mail, a copy may be mailed to the debtor at the same time.

If the employer's answer A written statement used to respond to the complaint or petition in a lawsuit states that it employs the debtor A person who owes money to someone else , the judge may issue a wage deduction When a debtor's money is taken out of their paycheck or bank account to pay for a debt they owe order. Garnishment When a debtor's money is taken out of their paycheck or bank account to pay for a debt they owe must follow the rules for collection-proof wages.

A clerk-stamped copy of the order signed by the judge must be mailed to the employer's representative. The employer must know where to send the money. Once the deductions begin, the employer will send the garnished amount each pay period until the judgment An official decision by a court that ends the dispute between parties and any interest are paid in full.

The employer isn't required to keep track of how much debt has been paid off. The creditor Someone who is owed money must follow Step 4 to notify the employer.

The creditor Someone who is owed money must send the employer a Certificate of Judgment An official decision by a court that ends the dispute between parties Balance every three months. The certificate tells the employer how much money is left to pay so that the employer knows when to stop garnishing the debtor A person who owes money to someone else 's wages The amount of money that a person is paid for work they do .