Attachment of earnings order

A way to enforce a county court judgment by having a debtor's employer deduct money straight from their wages — but only if they are employed, and only at a rate the court decides.

Can I get an attachment of earnings order if the debtor is self-employed?

No. An attachment of earnings order only works against employed people, because it relies on an employer making deductions from wages before they are paid out. If the debtor is self-employed, unemployed, or their employer cannot be identified, you will need a different enforcement method, such as a warrant of control or a third-party debt order.

How much will be deducted from the debtor's wages?

The court sets the deduction rate, not you. It uses statutory tables that protect a portion of the debtor's income (the protected earnings rate) so they are not left unable to meet ordinary living expenses. Deductions are then taken from what remains above that protected amount, so the exact figure depends on the debtor's income and outgoings.

What happens if the debtor changes jobs?

An attachment of earnings order only applies to the employer named in it. If the debtor moves to a new job, the order does not automatically transfer, and you or the court may need to apply again once the new employer is known. Debtors are legally required to notify the court of a change of employer, but enforcement of that duty is inconsistent in practice.

Does the debtor find out I applied for this?

Yes. Unlike a charging order's first stage, an attachment of earnings order is not made without the debtor's knowledge. The debtor is normally sent a statement of means to complete, and the court uses that information, or its own judgment if the debtor does not respond, to decide the deduction rate.

Can more than one attachment of earnings order run against the same person?

Yes, but the rules give priority to certain earlier orders, and an employer will only apply a limited total percentage of the deductions available. If several orders exist, later ones may produce little or nothing until earlier orders are paid off, so it is worth checking whether an order already exists before applying.

What does it cost to apply?

There is a court fee to apply for an attachment of earnings order, set out in the HMCTS EX50 fee schedule and reviewed periodically, so check the current figure on GOV.UK before applying. Employers can also deduct a small administration charge, permitted under the Attachment of Earnings Act 1971, from the amount taken from the debtor's wages.

Attachment of earnings order

Small Claims · Glossary

Attachment of earnings order

Last reviewed: August 2026

attachment of earnings order

is a court order that requires an employer to deduct a set amount from a debtor's wages each pay period and send it to the court, which forwards it on to satisfy an unpaid county court judgment.

Where this comes from

Attachment of Earnings Act 1971

— the statutory basis for deducting a judgment debt from wages.

Civil Procedure Rules, Part 70

— general rules on enforcement of judgments and orders.

— gov.uk overview of enforcement methods, including attachment of earnings.

Why this route depends entirely on employment status

An attachment of earnings order is unusual among enforcement methods because it relies on a third party, the debtor's employer, to actually collect the money. That makes it one of the more reliable routes when it applies, since the deduction happens before the debtor ever sees the wages. But it also means the whole mechanism collapses if the debtor has no employer to attach to. Someone who is self-employed, unemployed, or paid entirely in cash outside PAYE cannot be reached this way, and you will need a different enforcement method, such as a warrant of control against goods or a third-party debt order against a bank account.

Before applying, it is worth checking whether you actually know where the debtor works. Some creditors combine this application with an oral examination, a separate court hearing where the debtor is questioned under oath about their income and employer, specifically to gather the information needed to make an attachment of earnings order effective.

How the deduction rate is decided

• Application to the court.
• You apply to the county court that gave the original judgment, naming the debtor's employer if you know it.
• The court sends the debtor a form to declare their income, outgoings and dependants. If they do not respond, the court can still make an order based on the information it has, or estimate the position.
• The court sets a protected earnings rate.
• This is the amount the debtor is allowed to keep to cover ordinary living costs before any deduction is taken, calculated using statutory tables that reflect income and household circumstances.
• The order is sent to the employer.
• The employer deducts the set amount each pay period, keeps a small permitted administration charge, and pays the balance to the court, which forwards it to you.

How it works in practice

A creditor holds a county court judgment for £1,800 against a debtor who is employed full-time. The creditor does not know the employer's name, so first applies for an oral examination, at which the debtor confirms their employer under oath. The creditor then applies for an attachment of earnings order against that employer.

Debtor's monthly take-home pay

Court-set protected earnings rate

Amount available to deduct

The court orders deductions of £150 a month, comfortably within the £350 available, leaving margin in case the debtor's circumstances change. At that rate the debt clears in around a year, though the exact figure depends on the tables the court applies and any variation the debtor later requests.

• Applying without knowing the employer.
• An order cannot be enforced against an employer who is not correctly identified. Confirm current employment before applying, or use an oral examination first.
• Expecting a fast result.
• Deductions are usually modest once the protected earnings rate is applied, so repayment can take many months for a sizeable debt.
• Assuming the order survives a job change.
• If the debtor changes employer, the existing order stops working and a fresh application is normally needed against the new employer.
• Overlooking earlier orders against the same debtor.
• If another attachment of earnings order already has priority, yours may produce little until the earlier one is cleared.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• Attachment of Earnings Act 1971
• (legislation.gov.uk)
• Civil Procedure Rules, Part 70
• EX50 — civil and family court fees

Holding a judgment and need to enforce it?

Start My Claim helps you work out which enforcement method fits your situation and prepare the paperwork.

Last reviewed: August 2026.

References checked against the Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 and the Civil Procedure Rules as in force on 5 August 2026.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.