(735 ILCS 5/Art. XII Pt. 8 heading) Part 8. Wage Deductions

(735 ILCS 5/12-801) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-801)

Sec. 12-801. Definitions. As used in Part 8 of Article XII of this Act:

"Deduction order" means an order entered pursuant to Section 12-811 of this Act.

"Employer" means the person named as employer in the affidavit filed under Section 12-805.

"Federal agency employer" means an agency of the federal government as defined in 5 USC 5520a(a)(1), as amended from time to time.

"Judgment creditor" means the recipient of any judgment, except a judgment by confession which has not been confirmed as provided in Part 8 of Article XII of this Act.

"Judgment debtor" means a person against whom a judgment has been obtained.

"Wages" means any hourly pay, salaries, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation owed by an employer to a judgment debtor.

(Source: P.A. 89-28, eff. 6-23-95.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-802) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-802)

Sec. 12-802. Force and effect of order. A deduction order entered under Part 8 of Article XII of this Act shall have the force and effect and be enforceable as a judgment.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-803) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-803)

Sec. 12-803. Wages subject to collection. The wages, salary, commissions and bonuses subject to collection under a deduction order, for any work week shall be the lesser of (1) 15% of such gross amount paid for that week or (2) the amount by which disposable earnings for a week exceed 45 times the Federal Minimum Hourly Wage prescribed by Section 206(a)(1) of Title 29 of the United States Code, as amended, or, under a wage deduction summons served on or after January 1, 2006, the minimum hourly wage prescribed by Section 4 of the Minimum Wage Law, whichever is greater, in effect at the time the amounts are payable. This provision (and no other) applies irrespective of the place where the compensation was earned or payable and the State where the employee resides. No amounts required by law to be withheld may be taken from the amount collected by the creditor. The term "disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amounts required by law to be withheld.

(Source: P.A. 94-306, eff. 1-1-06; 95-661, eff. 1-1-08.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-804) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-804)

Sec. 12-804. Exemptions from deduction orders. Benefits and refunds payable by pension or retirement funds or systems and any assets of employees held by such funds or systems, and any monies an employee is required to contribute to such funds or systems are exempt and are not subject to a deduction order under Part 8 of Article XII of this Act. A plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 shall be considered a retirement fund for purposes of this Part 8.

(Source: P.A. 87-1252.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-805) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-805)

Sec. 12-805. Summons; Issuance.

(a) Upon the filing by a judgment creditor, its attorney or other designee of (1) an affidavit that the affiant believes any person is indebted to the judgment debtor for wages due or to become due, as provided in Part 8 of Article XII of this Act, and includes the last address of the judgment debtor known to the affiant as well as the name of the judgment debtor, and a certification by the judgment creditor or his attorney that, before filing the affidavit, the wage deduction notice has been mailed to the judgment debtor by first class mail at the judgment debtor's last known address, and (2) written interrogatories to be answered by the employer with respect to the indebtedness, the clerk of the court in which the judgment was entered shall issue summons against the person named in the affidavit as employer commanding the employer to appear in the court and answer the interrogatories in writing under oath. The interrogatories shall elicit all the information necessary to determine the proper amount of non-exempt wages. The interrogatories shall require that the employer certify that a copy of the completed interrogatories as specified in subsection (c) of Section 12-808 has been mailed or hand delivered to the judgment debtor and shall be in a form consistent with local court rules. The summons shall further command federal agency employers, upon effective service of summons pursuant to 5 USC 5520a, to commence to pay over deducted wages in accordance with Section 12-808. The summons shall be in a form consistent with local court rules. The summons shall be accompanied by a copy of the underlying judgment or a certification by the clerk of the court that entered the judgment, or by the attorney for the judgment creditor, setting forth the date and amount of the judgment, allowable costs expended, interest accumulated, credits paid by or on behalf of the judgment debtor and the balance due the judgment creditor, and one copy of a wage deduction notice in substantially the following form: "WAGE DEDUCTION NOTICE (Name and address of Court)

Name of Case: (Name of Judgment Creditor),

Judgment Creditor v.

(Name of Judgment Debtor),

Judgment Debtor.

Address of Judgment Debtor: (Insert last known address)

Name and Address of Attorney for Judgment

Creditor or of Judgment Creditor (if no

attorney is listed): (Insert name and address)

Amount of Judgment: $..........

Employer: (Name of Employer)

Return Date: (Insert return date specified in summons)

NOTICE: The court shall be asked to issue a wage deduction summons against the employer named above for wages due or about to become due to you. The wage deduction summons may be issued on the basis of a judgment against you in favor of the judgment creditor in the amount stated above.

The amount of wages that may be deducted is limited by federal and Illinois law.

(1) Under Illinois law, the amount of wages that may be deducted is limited to the lesser of (i) 15% of gross weekly wages or (ii) the amount by which disposable earnings for a week exceed the total of 45 times the federal minimum hourly wage or, under a wage deduction summons served on or after January 1, 2006, the minimum hourly wage prescribed by Section 4 of the Minimum Wage Law, whichever is greater.

(2) Under federal law, the amount of wages that may be deducted is limited to the lesser of (i) 25% of disposable earnings for a week or (ii) the amount by which disposable earnings for a week exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage.

(3) Pension and retirement benefits and refunds may be claimed as exempt from wage deduction under Illinois law.

You have the right to request a hearing before the court to dispute the wage deduction because the wages are exempt. To obtain a hearing in counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more, you must notify the Clerk of the Court in person and in writing at (insert address of Clerk) before the Return Date specified above or appear in court on the date and time on that Return Date. To obtain a hearing in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000, you must notify the Clerk of the Court in writing at (insert address of clerk) on or before the Return Date specified above. The Clerk of the Court will provide a hearing date and the necessary forms that must be prepared by you or your attorney and sent to the judgment creditor and the employer, or their attorney, regarding the time and location of the hearing. This notice may be sent by regular first class mail."

(b) In a county with a population of less than 1,000,000, unless otherwise provided by circuit court rule, at the request of the judgment creditor or his or her attorney and instead of personal service, service of a summons for a wage deduction may be made as follows:

(1) For each employer to be served, the judgment creditor or his or her attorney shall pay to the clerk of the court a fee of $2, plus the cost of mailing, and furnish to the clerk an original and one copy of a summons, an original and one copy of the interrogatories and an affidavit setting forth the employer's mailing address, an original and one copy of the wage deduction notice required by subsection (a) of this Section, and a copy of the judgment or certification described in subsection (a) of this Section. The original judgment shall be retained by the clerk.

(2) The clerk shall mail to the employer, at the address appearing in the affidavit, the copy of the judgment or certification described in subsection (a) of this Section, the summons, the interrogatories, and the wage deduction notice required by subsection (a) of this Section, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, showing to whom delivered and the date and address of delivery. This Mailing shall be mailed on a "restricted delivery" basis when service is directed to a natural person. The envelope and return receipt shall bear the return address of the clerk, and the return receipt shall be stamped with the docket number of the case. The receipt for certified or registered mail shall state the name and address of the addressee, the date of the mailing, shall identify the documents mailed, and shall be attached to the original summons.

(3) The return receipt must be attached to the original summons and, if it shows delivery at least 3 days before the return date, shall constitute proof of service of any documents identified on the return receipt as having been mailed.

(4) The clerk shall note the fact of service in a permanent record.

(c) Instead of personal service, a summons for a wage deduction may be served and returned in the manner provided by Supreme Court rule for service, otherwise than by publication, of a notice for additional relief upon a party in default.

(Source: P.A. 94-306, eff. 1-1-06.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-806) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-806)

Sec. 12-806. Service and return of summons. Summons shall be returnable not less than 21 nor more than 40 days after the date of issuance. Summons with one copy of the interrogatories and one copy of the judgment or certification and one copy of the wage deduction notice specified in Section 12-805 of this Act shall be served on the employer and returned as in other civil cases as provided by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 105 for service, otherwise than by publication, of a notice for additional relief upon a party in default.

If the employer is served with summons less than 3 days prior to the return date, the court shall continue the case to a new return date not less than 21 days after the service of the summons.

(Source: P.A. 101-191, eff. 8-2-19.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-807) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-807)

Sec. 12-807. Failure of employer to appear.

(a) If an employer fails to appear and answer as required by Part 8 of Article XII of this Act, the court may enter a conditional judgment against the employer for the amount due upon the judgment against the judgment debtor. A summons to confirm the conditional judgment may issue against the employer returnable not less than 21 nor more than 40 days after the date of issuance, commanding the employer to show cause why the judgment should not be made final. Service of the summons after conditional judgment shall be as provided by Supreme Court Rule 105 for service, otherwise than by publication, of a notice for additional relief upon a party in default. If the employer, after being served with summons to confirm the conditional judgment or after being notified as provided in subsection (b) hereof, fails to appear and answer, the court shall confirm such judgment to the amount of the judgment against the judgment debtor and award costs. If the employer appears and answers, the same proceedings may be had as in other cases.

(b) If an employer becomes a non-resident, goes out of this State, or is concealed within this State so that the summons to confirm the conditional judgment cannot be served upon him or her, upon the filing by the plaintiff or his or her agent of an affidavit as in cases of non-resident defendants in attachments, the employer may be notified in the same manner as a non-resident defendant in attachment; and upon notice being given to him or her as above stated, he or she may be proceeded against in the same manner as if he or she had been personally served with summons to confirm the conditional judgment.

(Source: P.A. 101-191, eff. 8-2-19.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-808) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-808)

Sec. 12-808. Duty of employer.

(a) An employer served as herein provided shall pay the employee the amount of his or her exempt wages.

(b) To the extent of the amount due upon the judgment and costs, the employer shall hold, subject to order of court, any non-exempt wages due or which subsequently come due. The judgment or balance due thereon is a lien on wages due at the time of the service of summons, and such lien shall continue as to subsequent earnings until the total amount due upon the judgment and costs is paid, except that such lien on subsequent earnings shall terminate sooner if the employment relationship is terminated or if the underlying judgment is vacated or modified.

(b-5) If the employer is a federal agency employer and the creditor is represented by an attorney, then the employer, upon service of summons and to the extent of the amount due upon the judgment and costs, shall commence to pay over to the attorney for the judgment creditor any non-exempt wages due or that subsequently come due. The attorney for the judgment creditor shall thereafter hold the deducted wages subject to further order of the court and shall make answer to the court regarding amounts received from the federal agency employer. The federal agency employer's periodic payments shall be considered a sufficient answer to the interrogatories.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (b-5), the employer shall file, on or before the return date or within the further time that the court for cause may allow, a written answer under oath to the interrogatories, setting forth the amount due as wages to the judgment debtor for the payroll periods ending immediately prior to the service of the summons and a summary of the computation used to determine the amount of non-exempt wages. Except as provided in subsection (b-5), the employer shall mail by first class mail or hand deliver a copy of the answer to the judgment debtor at the address specified in the affidavit filed under Section 12-805 of this Act, or at any other address or location of the judgment debtor known to the employer.

A lien obtained hereunder shall have priority over any subsequent lien obtained hereunder, except that liens for the support of a spouse or dependent children shall have priority over all other liens obtained hereunder. Subsequent summonses shall be effective in the order in which they are served.

(d) The Illinois Supreme Court may by rule allow an employer to file answers to interrogatories by facsimile transmission.

(e) Pursuant to answer under oath to the interrogatories by the employer, an order shall be entered compelling the employer to deduct from wages of the judgment debtor subject to collection under a deduction order an amount which is the lesser of (i) 15% of the gross amount of the wages or (ii) the amount by which disposable earnings for a week exceed 45 times the Federal Minimum Hourly Wage prescribed by Section 206(a)(1) of Title 29 of the United States Code, as amended, in effect at the time the amounts are payable, for each pay period in which statutory exemptions under Section 12-804 and child support garnishments, if any, leave funds to be remitted or, under a wage deduction summons served on or after January 1, 2006, the minimum hourly wage prescribed by Section 4 of the Minimum Wage Law, whichever is greater. The order shall further provide that deducted wages shall be remitted to the creditor or creditor's attorney on a monthly basis.

(f) If after the entry of a deduction order, the employer ceases to remit funds to the plaintiff pursuant to the order without a lawful excuse (which would terminate the employer's obligation under the deduction order such as the debtor having filed a bankruptcy, the debtor having left employment or the employer having received service of a support order against the judgment debtor having priority over the wage deduction proceedings), the court shall, upon plaintiff's motion, enter a conditional judgment against the employer for the balance due on the judgment. The plaintiff may then issue a Summons After Conditional Judgment. After service of the Summons After Conditional Judgment, the employer may show cause why the conditional judgment, or some portion thereof should not be made a final judgment. If the employer shall fail to respond or show cause why the conditional judgment or some portion thereof should not be made final, the court shall confirm the conditional judgment and make it final as to the employer plus additional court costs.

(Source: P.A. 94-306, eff. 1-1-06; 95-661, eff. 1-1-08.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-808.5)

Sec. 12-808.5. Certification of judgment balance. Whenever a wage deduction order has not been fully satisfied by the end of the first full calendar quarter following the date of service of the wage deduction summons:

(1) The judgment creditor or his attorney shall prepare a certification that states the amount of the judgment remaining unsatisfied as of the last calendar day of each full calendar quarter for which the wage deduction order continues in effect.

(2) The certification shall be mailed or delivered to the employer by the judgment creditor or his or her attorney within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter for which the wage deduction order continues in effect. The employer shall hand deliver or mail by first class mail a copy of the certification to the judgment debtor at the judgment debtor's last known address.

(3) In the event that the plaintiff fails to provide the certification required by this Section, the employer must continue to withhold funds from the defendant's wages but may hold the funds without remitting to the plaintiff until such time as it receives a certification required by this Section. A certification of judgment balance need not be filed with the court.

(4) Any party to the wage deduction proceeding may, upon motion with notice to all other parties, ask the court to review the balance due claimed by the judgment creditor.

(Source: P.A. 95-661, eff. 1-1-08.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-809) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-809)

Sec. 12-809. Offsetting claims. The employer is entitled to assert against indebtedness due to the judgment debtor offsetting claims against either or both the judgment creditor and the judgment debtor, whether (1) due at the time of service of the summons or thereafter to become due and (2) liquidated or unliquidated, except demands for unliquidated claims for actions sounding in tort. The employer is liable for the balance of indebtedness due the judgment debtor after the offsetting claims are adjusted. The verdict or finding and judgment shall show the amount of offsetting claims or deductions allowed against each party.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-810) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-810)

Sec. 12-810. Adverse claims. (a) In the event any indebtedness or other property due from or in the possession of an employer is claimed by any other person, the court shall permit the claimant to appear and maintain his or her claim. A claimant not voluntarily appearing shall be served with notice in person or by certified or registered mail. If a claimant fails to appear after being served with notice in the manner directed, he or she shall be concluded by the judgment entered in the proceeding against any claim on the wages involved in that proceeding.

(b) If the adverse claimant appears and, within the time the court allows, files his or her claim and serves a copy thereof upon the judgment creditor and the employer, he or she is then a party to the proceeding, and his or her claim shall be tried and determined with the other issues in the action. If the adverse claimant is entitled to all or part of the indebtedness or other property, the court shall enter judgment in accordance with the interest of the parties.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-811) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-811)

Sec. 12-811. Trial and judgment.

(a) The judgment creditor or the judgment debtor may contest the truth or sufficiency of the employer's answer and, in accordance with local court rules, the court shall immediately, unless for good cause the hearing is postponed, proceed to try the issues. The answer of the employer may be contested without further pleading.

(b) At any time on or before the return date, the judgment debtor may request a hearing to dispute the wage deduction because the wages are exempt by notifying the clerk of court before that time, using forms as may be provided by the clerk of the court. To obtain a hearing in counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more, the judgment debtor must notify the clerk of court in person and in writing at the clerk's office before the return date specified in the summons or appear in court on the date and time specified in the summons. To obtain a hearing in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000, the judgment debtor must notify the clerk of the court in writing at the clerk's office on or before the return date specified in the summons. The Clerk of Court will provide a hearing date and the necessary forms that must be prepared by the judgment debtor or the attorney for the judgment debtor and sent to the judgment creditor and the employer, or their attorney, regarding the time and location of the hearing. This notice may be sent by regular first class mail. At the hearing the court shall immediately, unless for good cause the hearing is continued, proceed to try the issues.

(c) The trial shall be conducted as in other civil cases.

(d) If the finding is against an employer, a deduction order shall be entered against the employer and in favor of the judgment debtor to whom the employer is indebted, in the same manner as if the facts are admitted.

(e) No deduction order shall be entered in favor of the judgment creditor unless the affidavit filed by the judgment creditor certifies that a copy of the wage deduction notice has been mailed to the judgment debtor, under Section 12-805, and the employer's answer provides a summary of the computation used to determine the amount of non-exempt wages. If the employer is a federal agency employer, a deduction order shall be entered in favor of the judgment creditor if (i) the affidavit filed by the judgment creditor certifies that a copy of the wage deduction notice has been mailed to the judgment debtor under Section 12-805 and (ii) the federal agency employer identifies, on or with its periodic payments made under subsection (b-5) of Section 12-808, the computation method used to determine the amount of non-exempt wages. A federal agency employer shall not be required to provide a summary of the computation used to determine the amount of non-exempt wages.

(Source: P.A. 89-28, eff. 6-23-95.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-812) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-812)

Sec. 12-812. Effect of order. A deduction order against an employer shall be enforceable as in other civil cases and shall discharge the employer of all claims by the judgment debtor for the indebtedness paid, delivered or accounted for by the employer by virtue of the order. The discharge of an employer is no bar to an action by the judgment debtor for the same claim.

Entry of the deduction order shall discharge the federal agency employer of all claims by the judgment debtor for the indebtedness paid and delivered by the employer and accounted for by the attorney for the judgment creditor under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 89-28, eff. 6-23-95.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-813) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-813)

Sec. 12-813. Judgment by confession. A judgment by confession without service of process on the defendant shall not be the basis for seeking a deduction order, unless such judgment is confirmed after service of process by a trial de novo, as if such confession of judgment had not been obtained, except that if it appears by the return of the officer on the first summons that the employee is not found, alias summonses subsequently issued may be served upon the employee by leaving a copy thereof with the employee's employer, or leaving a copy thereof at the usual place of business of the employer with his or her superintendent, manager, cashier, general agent or clerk, pursuant to an affidavit filed by the creditor with the clerk of the court stating the identity of the employee's employer, and that the employee is actively employed at the time such alias is sought, and except that if a notice of defense has been filed to a wage assignment as provided in Section 4.1 of "An Act to promote the welfare of wage earners by regulating the assignment of wages, and prescribing a penalty for the violation thereof", approved July 1, 1935, as amended, the debtor may be served by registered or certified mail within 6 months after the filing of such defense on a wage assignment in the action to confirm the judgment by confession and such mailing by the creditor to the address shown on the notice of defense shall constitute service of the summons.

(Source: P.A. 83-707.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-814) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-814)

Sec. 12-814. Costs and fees.

(a) The costs of obtaining a deduction order shall be charged to the judgment debtor, unless the court determines, in its discretion, that costs incurred by the judgment creditor were improperly incurred, in which case those costs shall be paid by the judgment creditor.

(b) No fee shall be paid by an employer for filing his or her appearance, answer or satisfaction of judgment against him or her.

(c) A fee consisting of 2% of the amount required to be deducted by any deduction order shall be allowed and paid to the employer, and the amount so paid shall be charged to the judgment debtor.

(d) No other fee shall be paid to an employer at the time of service of the summons or at any other time thereafter unless he or she is subpoenaed to appear as a witness, in which case he or she is entitled to witness fees as in other civil cases.

(Source: P.A. 95-661, eff. 1-1-08.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-815) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-815)

Sec. 12-815. Death of employer. Upon the death of an employer the procedure shall be the same as in the case of the death of a defendant in other civil cases.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-816) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-816)

Sec. 12-816. Assignment, transfer or other disposition. No assignment, transfer or other disposition by an heir or distributee of his or her interest in the possession of an administrator or executor shall defeat the deduction order, unless (1) prior to the service of summons upon the administrator or executor, the transfer or other disposition is reduced to writing and (2) the writing is filed in the office of the clerk of the court appointing the executor or administrator.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-817) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-817)

Sec. 12-817. Wrongful issuance of summons. If any person wrongfully causes summons to issue for a deduction order, he or she shall be liable to the employee and the employer for all damages occasioned by such action including reasonable attorney's fees, which damages or attorney's fees may be proved in the same action in which the summons was wrongfully issued.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-818) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-818)

Sec. 12-818. Discharge or suspension of employee prohibited. No employer may discharge or suspend any employee by reason of the fact that his or her earnings have been subjected to a deduction order for any one indebtedness. Any person violating this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

(735 ILCS 5/12-819) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-819)

Sec. 12-819. Limitations on Part 8 of Article XII. The provisions of this Part 8 of Article XII of this Act do not apply to orders for withholding of income entered by the court under provisions of The Illinois Public Aid Code, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, the Non-Support of Spouse and Children Act, the Non-Support Punishment Act, the Revised Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act, the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984, and the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 for support of a child or maintenance of a spouse.

(Source: P.A. 99-85, eff. 1-1-16.)