Garnish Definition

To get a court order requiring a third party that holds funds belonging to a debtor to set some portion of that money aside for the benefit of the creditor. For example, a court might issue an order garnishing the wages of a parent who owes child support; the employer is then required to withhold a certain amount of the parent's paycheck each month and send that money to someone -- often, the local sheriff -- to be paid to the other parent.