(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), one-half of the disposable earnings (as defined by Section 1672 of Title 15 of the United States Code) of the judgment debtor, plus any amount withheld from the judgment debtor‘s earnings pursuant to any earnings assignment order for support, is exempt from levy under this chapter where the earnings withholding order is a withholding order for support under Section 706.030.

(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), upon motion of any interested party, the court shall make an equitable division of the judgment debtor’s earnings that takes into account the needs of all the persons the judgment debtor is required to support and shall effectuate such division by an order determining the amount to be withheld from the judgment debtor’s earnings pursuant to the withholding order for support.

Terms Used In California Code of Civil Procedure 706.052

  • debtor: means the debtor from whom the liability is sought to be collected. See California Code of Civil Procedure 688.040
  • Disposable earnings: means the portion of an individual's earnings that remains after deducting all amounts required to be withheld by law. See California Code of Civil Procedure 706.011
  • Earnings: means compensation payable by an employer to an employee for personal services performed by such employee, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise. See California Code of Civil Procedure 706.011
  • Earnings assignment order for support: means an order, made pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5200) of Part 5 of Division 9 of . See California Code of Civil Procedure 706.011
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Judgment debtor: includes a person from whom the state is seeking to collect a tax liability under Article 4 (commencing with Section 706. See California Code of Civil Procedure 706.011

(c) An order made under subdivision (b) may not authorize the withholding of an amount in excess of the amount that may be withheld for support under federal law under Section 1673 of Title 15 of the United States Code.

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 163, Sec. 48. Effective January 1, 1993. Operative January 1, 1994, by Sec. 161 of Ch. 163.)