Yeah , I ' ve seen people garnished for things like a doctor ' s bill or a personal loan . It doesn ' t have to be a huge amount . I know where I am they can take up to 25 % of your disposable wages . Even if they went to the courthouse and filled out the paperwork tomorrow , it would take a couple days to get served , and then you ' d have a court date assigned , and those are generally at least a month or so out . If they start garnishing your wages , you can still pay off the full amount at any time . Be aware that you will have court fees and interest to pay on top of whatever you owe , though . Sometimes the judge will allow you still set up a payment plan , and then they won ' t garnish your wages , but you ' d still owe the interest and court fees .