GARNISHMENT ORDERS DON'T AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRE

Living in this modern age where computers and advance technology does almost everything automatically for us now, do not fall for the mistake of thinking that child support and spousal maintenance (alimony) garnishment orders automatically cease. Even though Court orders often have the end date when spousal maintenance (alimony) ends and child support orders contain the presumptive emancipation date when child support should end because the child turns eighteen, orders of assignment that essentially garnish these payments from your paycheck do not typically contain an end date. As such, these orders are open-ended and employers will continue to take the money out until they get a subsequent order modifying or quashing (stopping) the previous order. In addition, even if you have a very sympathetic employer who you prove that your payment obligations should end, most employers do not want to be sued or be held in contempt of Court so they will err on the side of caution and not disobey the assignment order until they get a new order modifying it or stopping it.