Rhode Island § 10-5-8 § 10-5-8. Garnishment of wages restricted to amounts not exempt — Child support to have priority. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 10-5-8 — § 10-5-8. Garnishment of wages restricted to amounts not exempt — Child support to have priority. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]

Rhode Island § 10-5-8

Title 10Courts and civil procedure–Procedure in particular actions

Ch. 10-5Attachment

This text of Rhode Island § 10-5-8 (§ 10-5-8. Garnishment of wages restricted to amounts not exempt — Child support to have priority. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-5-8 (2026).

Text

§ 10-5-8. Garnishment of wages restricted to amounts not exempt — Child support to have priority.
               [Effective until January 1, 2026.]
(a) Any writ of attachment, served as a writ of garnishment for the attachment of the
            personal estate of the defendant in the hand and possession of any employer of the
            defendant, shall be effective to attach so much only of such personal estate consisting
            of the salary or wages due and payable to the defendant, or to become in the future
            due and payable to the defendant, as is in excess of the amount of the defendant's
            salary or wages exempt by law from attachment. And the garnishee, being the defendant's
  

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

§ 10-5-8. Garnishment of wages restricted to amounts not exempt — Child support to have priority. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]

(a) Any writ of attachment, served as a writ of garnishment for the attachment of the personal estate of the defendant in the hand and possession of any employer of the defendant, shall be effective to attach so much only of such personal estate consisting of the salary or wages due and payable to the defendant, or to become in the future due and payable to the defendant, as is in excess of the amount of the defendant's salary or wages exempt by law from attachment. And the garnishee, being the defendant's employer, shall be required to make affidavit and shall be held liable for the defendant's personal estate consisting of the salary or wages due and payable to the defendant or to become in the future due and payable to the defendant only in respect of the excess amount exempt from attachment. Any writ of garnishment served under the provisions of this section shall state the judgment amount, and the employer shall withhold sums not exempt by law until the amount of withholding equals the amount of the judgment. The employer shall be entitled to the sum of five dollars ($5.00), payable directly from the employee to the employer, for each writ of garnishment served upon the employer regarding any employee.

(b) Subject to any federal or state law to the contrary, any garnishment of wages for child support issued pursuant to § 15-5-25, and any wage assignment pursuant to § 15-5-24, or chapter 16 of title 15 shall take priority over any garnishment issued in accordance with this section. This priority shall occur whether or not the garnishment or assignment pursuant to § 15-5-24 or 15-5-25 or chapter 16 of title 15 occurs before or after any garnishment pursuant to this section. In addition, consistent with federal and state law, the state court system may develop a system for the collection of court imposed or assessed fines, costs, fees or other assessments, including restitution, through wage assignment procedures.

Legislative History

G.L., ch. 351, § 30, P.L. 1932, ch. 1898, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 548, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 10-5-8; P.L. 1981, ch. 350, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 295, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 235, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 326, § 95.