Garnishee Order: withholding wages to pay arrears

A garnishee order is a court order directing a third party, such as an employer or bank, to withhold a sum of the husband’s money and pay it directly to the wife or child to settle maintenance arrears.

This order is usually applied for after other routes have failed, for example when a husband repeatedly does not pay maintenance despite an existing court order. A wife can apply for a garnishee order against her husband’s wages at his workplace, or against an identified bank account.

The Family Support Division (BSK) often helps with enforcement before a case reaches the garnishee stage.

To understand the enforcement steps before this, read maintenance arrears, or see nafkah anak as the underlying claim that leads to arrears.