• There are several very important wage garnishment laws in the state of Utah.Legal Law Justice image by Stacey Alexander from Fotolia.com
  
  Wage garnishment laws vary from state to state. One of the few things that all state wage garnishment laws have in common is that all states allow wage garnishment for child support, alimony, taxes and federal student loans. Utah has several laws related to wage garnishment.
  
  

Utah Wage Garnishment Limits

• As of 2010, the first $142.50 of disposable weekly earnings is exempt from garnishment in Utah. The maximum amount of wage garnishment can be figured out through one of two methods. The maximum that can be garnished is either 25 percent of the disposable income for the pay period, or else the amount earned in the check that is above 30 times the federal minimum wage. Whichever one is a smaller amount is the maximum garnishment allowed in the state of Utah.
  
  

Statute of Limitations

• The statute of limitations for enforcing wage garnishment depends on the specific type of debt that is being addressed. Once a past due debt gets to a certain time, then by Utah state law garnishment is no longer an option. The four accounts that are specifically outlined are open accounts (such as credit cards), written contracts, domestic judgments and foreign judgment. Open accounts have a four year statute of limitations, written contracts are six years, and both domestic and foreign judgments are eight years.
  
  

Bankruptcy Garnishment

• There are several laws regarding wage garnishment as it relates to assets through bankruptcy. Wages that are owed, but have not been paid, are protected up to 75 percent from garnishment. Only a quarter of those owed wages can be garnished, regardless of situation. Cash of $1,500 or less in a bankruptcy proceeding, whether saved from past wages or paid as wages, can also be exempt. The rest of the protected assets in bankruptcy are possessions and not wages.