Does Florida's head-of-household exemption stop wage garnishment?

Use the free tool — Wage Garnishment Defense FL

Does the head-of-household exemption stop wage garnishment?

It can, but it is not automatic in every part of the process. Under Florida Statutes chapter 222, if you are the head of a family and provide more than half the support of a dependent, your wages are exempt from garnishment — entirely, up to $750 a week automatically, and above that amount unless you agreed in writing to the garnishment. But you still have to claim the exemption in the right form and within the deadline. This is general information, not legal advice.

Who counts as "head of family"

You provide more than half the support of a dependent, such as a child or other relative.
The exemption comes from Florida Statutes chapter 222.
Whether you fit this definition depends on your own facts — the tool reviews the notice you paste and tells you which exemptions appear to fit, but it does not decide your case for you.

What's protected — and what isn't automatic

Up to $750 a week of wages is exempt automatically for a head of family.
Above $750 a week, wages are exempt unless you agreed in writing to the garnishment.
Even if you qualify, the exemption generally has to be claimed — it is not applied by itself just because you are a head of family.

The 20-day deadline

Florida Statutes chapter 77 gives you 20 days from the notice to file a sworn claim of exemption and request for hearing. File within that window even if you are not fully sure you qualify. The tool computes the exact date from the notice you paste, and gives you the affidavit language and the steps for filing — but confirm the exact deadline and filing procedure with the clerk's office or with floridalawhelp.org.

Other protections beyond wages

Bank accounts can hold protected money too, including Social Security funds and wages that were already deposited.
Florida also allows a $1,000 personal-property exemption.
Federal debts — taxes and student loans — and child support orders follow different rules than ordinary creditor garnishments.

What to do next

Paste your garnishment notice into the free tool. It reads your own document and numbers — the case number, the creditor, the date you received it, what's being garnished, and who you support — and tells you which exemptions fit, the exact 20-day date, the claim-of-exemption steps, the affidavit language, and what typically happens at the hearing. It does not fill out or file anything for you, and it is not legal advice. For help completing forms or for representation, contact the clerk's office or floridalawhelp.org.

Use the free tool

Wage Garnishment Defense FL is an informational tool based on Florida Statutes chapters 77 and 222 and 15 U.S.C. 1673 as of 2025–26. It is not legal advice and does not file anything. Federal tax levies, federal student-loan administrative garnishments and child-support orders have separate rules and limits. It is not affiliated with any court, creditor or agency.