Wage Garnishment in Ontario for Judgment Creditors

Once you have a judgment and the other side isn't paying voluntarily, wage garnishment is often the enforcement option people ask about first. It's a real, available tool — but it comes with practical limits worth understanding before you count on it.

What garnishment actually is

Garnishment is a legal mechanism that redirects money someone would otherwise receive — most commonly wages from an employer — toward paying off a judgment, without requiring the judgment debtor's cooperation. See judgment enforcement for how this fits alongside other enforcement options.

The information problem: you need to know where they work

The single biggest practical obstacle to wage garnishment isn't the legal mechanism — it's knowing where the judgment debtor is currently employed. Without that information, garnishment simply can't be directed anywhere. If you don't already know this, gathering it — sometimes with professional help — is often the real first step.

It's generally not all-or-nothing

Garnishment generally doesn't mean redirecting someone's entire paycheque — mechanisms like this are typically structured to leave the person with enough income to live on, with only a portion available to be garnished. Go in expecting a partial, ongoing recovery rather than the full judgment amount collected instantly.

What if they change jobs

A garnishment is generally directed at a specific employer. If the judgment debtor changes jobs, a new garnishment against the new employer may be needed, which requires knowing about the change in the first place. This is one of the more frustrating practical realities of this enforcement method.

Garnishing other sources besides employment income

Wages aren't the only thing that can potentially be garnished — funds in a bank account are another common target, discussed more fully in what can be seized to pay a judgment? Which approach makes more sense depends on what specific information you have about the judgment debtor's situation.

Realistic expectations

Garnishment works best when you have solid information about where someone works or banks, and it works less well — or not at all — against someone who's unemployed, paid informally, or whose income and assets you simply can't identify. Being honest with yourself about which situation you're actually in helps you decide how much further effort makes sense.

Where to go for the full process

This piece is about the practical realities. For the complete breakdown of enforcement mechanisms and how to choose between them, see judgment enforcement or the interactive judgment enforcement guide.

Frequently asked questions