Florida Statute 222.11
“Exemption of wages from garnishment”
What it means
Florida protects paychecks, and §222.11 draws the lines. A head of family — any natural person providing more than one-half of the support for a child or other dependent — keeps all disposable earnings of $750 a week or less, exempt from attachment or garnishment. Earnings above $750 a week can be garnished only if the person agreed otherwise in writing — a waiver that must sit in a separate document, in at least 14-point type.
Everyone else gets the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act limits. Exempt wages credited or deposited in a financial institution stay exempt for 6 months if the funds can be traced.
- Head of family means providing more than one-half of the support for a child or other dependent.
- Disposable earnings of $750 a week or less are fully exempt for a head of family.
- Above $750 a week, garnishment requires a written waiver — a separate attached document, at least 14-point type, in the contract's language.
- Exempt earnings deposited in a financial institution remain exempt for 6 months after deposit if they can be traced.
- A non-head-of-family keeps only the federal limits of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. s. 1673.
How it plays out
Wage garnishment lands next to probate more often than people expect — usually a surviving spouse whose own paycheck comes under pressure while the estate sorts out household debts. The head-of-family test turns on support actually provided, not titles, and the 6-month rule for banked wages means account statements decide cases. We tell families to keep exempt wages traceable; a separate account beats a reconstruction later.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 222.11 does real work:
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