Seizure of wages (or "seizure of wages")

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Wage garnishment (or wage garnishment) consists in taking part of an employee's salary, regardless of his employment contract, to pay off his debt. The employee receives only part of his salary. But the amount paid to the employee may not be less than the amount of Elusive bank balance (SBI). We explain.

The course of the seizure of wages varies, depending on whether the creditor initiated this procedure from 1er July 2025 or earlier:

From 1 July 2025

In order to initiate a garnishment, the creditor must comply with the following conditions:

  • Have a enforceable title noting a receivable cash (amount encrypted and not disputed by the debtor) and due (payment due)
  • Instruct a commissioner of justice to issue a command to pay to the debtor. The Commissioner of Justice has an obligation to record the command to pay the digital register of earnings seizures, on the day of its meaning to the debtor or 1er business day next.

FYI  

A creditor seeking payment of unpaid maintenance may resort to garnishment of wages. However, it may prefer to initiate a direct payment (procedure for recovering unpaid amounts from the application and up to 6 months before the application).

The command to pay tells the debtor that he is now in the following situation:

  • He has an obligation to pay the debt within one month.
  • It may seek an agreement with the creditor through the commissioner of justice.
  • He has the possibility to challenge the order to pay before the enforcement judge.

Other information must be included on the command to payOtherwise, it is not valid.

Mandatory information varies depending on whether a deed of seizure in respect of the debtor has or has not already been registered on the digital register of salary entries.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

There are no entries on the register

To be valid, the order to pay must contain the following information:

  • The enforceable title
  • Separate statement of amounts claimed in principal (amount originally due), fees and interest accrued, and interest rate
  • The command, within one month, to have to pay the sums indicated or to reach an agreement with the creditor, otherwise the seizure of his remuneration may be triggered
  • The indication that the debtor may send the Commissioner of Justice a postal or electronic mail (e-mail) to indicate that he wants to try to reach an agreement with the creditor on the amount or terms of payment of the debt. And the indication that if he does not send this mail, the debtor will be considered as having refused to try to reach an agreement.
  • Reproduction of articles R212-1-5and R212-1-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures
  • The indication that the debtor may, at any time, refer the matter to the enforcement judge if he wishes to contest the proceedings in progress (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that the enforcement judge may refer to assignment a challenge within one month of the notification of the order to pay suspends the course of the procedure for the attachment of remuneration, as well as the indication of the date on which that period expires (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that contesting the proceedings does not prevent another creditor from issuing an order for the purpose of garnishing remuneration (in very apparent characters)
  • The designation of the court to which the challenges are to be made (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that if the debtor considers himself in a situation of over-indebtedness, he can file an overindebtedness file (in very apparent characters)

An entry is already on the register

To be valid, the order to pay must contain the following information:

  • The enforceable title
  • Separate statement of amounts claimed in principal (amount originally due), fees and interest accrued, and interest rate
  • The summons, within one month, to have to pay the sums indicated or to reach an agreement with the creditor, otherwise the seizure of his remuneration may be triggered
  • The indication that the debtor may, at any time, refer the matter to the enforcement judge if he wishes to contest the proceedings in progress (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that the enforcement judge must bring a challenge by summons within one month after the notification of the order to pay suspends the course of the procedure for the attachment of remuneration, as well as the indication of the date on which that period expires (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that contesting the proceedings does not prevent another creditor from issuing an order for the purpose of garnishing remuneration (in very apparent characters)
  • The designation of the court to which the challenges are to be made (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that, if the debtor considers himself in a situation of over-indebtedness, he may file an overindebtedness file (in very apparent characters)

The continuation of the proceedings depends on the choice made by the debtor who has received the order to pay, but the continuation of the seizure remains at the initiative of the creditor.

After receiving the command to pay, the debtor may:

  • To pay its debt within one month of the meaning of command to pay
  • Or request that an agreement be reached with the creditor on the amount and terms of payment of the debt,
  • Or challenge the command to pay before the enforcement judge. If the debtor does so within one month of the meaning of command to payHowever, the challenge has the effect of suspending the wage attachment procedure, pending the decision of the judge. Have a lawyer is mandatory as soon as the amount of the unpaid amount reaches €10,000.

Debtor's application to the Commissioner of Justice

After receiving the command to pay, the debtor may choose to seek an agreement with the creditor on the amount and manner of payment of the debt.

The debtor must inform the Commissioner of Justice by post or e-mail (e-mail). He must attach all the information he considers useful to inform the Commissioner of Justice of his income and his expenses.

Intervention of the Commissioner of Justice

After receiving the debtor's request, the Commissioner of Justice may, if he considers it necessary, question the creditor and the debtor.

Where appropriate, it shall propose to the debtor and the creditor a proposal for agreement on the amount and the manner of payment of the debt.

Result of the agreement attempt

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

The proposed agreement is accepted

If the creditor and the debtor accept the agreement proposed by the Commissioner of Justice, the Commissioner of Justice shall draw up a minutes of agreement.

The Commissioner of Justice must then send a copy of the minutes of agreement to the creditor and the debtor.

If the debtor does not apply the agreement concluded, the creditor may resume the wage attachment procedure. To do this, he must trigger the seizure of wages, by means of the designation of a dispatching justice commissionerand then the service by the Commissioner of Justice of a record of seizure to the company that employs the debtor.

Warning  

The record of seizure shall not be served on the employer more than 3 months after service of the command to pay, otherwise the command to pay no longer valid. But this period is increased by the time of suspension of the procedure of attachment on salary related to the attempt of agreement, when minutes of agreement is concluded within 3 months.

The proposed agreement is refused

The creditor may resume the wage attachment procedure. To do this, he must trigger the seizure of wages, by means of the designation of a dispatching justice commissionerand then the service by the Commissioner of Justice of a record of seizure to the company that employs the debtor. If the debtor works on a temporary basis, the record of seizure is sent to the temporary work company.

Warning  

The record of seizure shall not be served on the employer more than 3 months after service of the command to pay to the debtor, otherwise the command to pay no longer valid. But this period is increased by the time of suspension of the wage attachment procedure related to the attempted agreement, when minutes of agreement is concluded within 3 months.

It is possible to challenge the command to pay, in particular for defect in form, i.e. where at least 1 of the information to be included is missing.

Mandatory information varies, depending on whether deed of seizure in respect of the debtor has or has not already been registered on the digital register of salary entries.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

No registration exists

To be valid, the command to pay must contain the following information:

  • The enforceable title
  • Separate statement of amounts claimed in principal (amount originally due), fees and interest accrued, and interest rate
  • The command, within one month, to have to pay the sums indicated or to reach an agreement with the creditor, otherwise the seizure of his remuneration may be triggered.
  • The indication that the debtor may send the Commissioner of Justice a postal or electronic mail (e-mail) to indicate that he wants to try to reach an agreement with the creditor on the amount or terms of payment of the debt. The indication that if he does not send this mail, the debtor will be considered as having refused to try to reach an agreement.
  • Reproduction of articles R212-1-5and R212-1-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures
  • The indication that the debtor may, at any time, refer the matter to the enforcement judge if he wishes to contest the proceedings in progress (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that the enforcement judge may refer to assignment a challenge within one month of the notification of the order to pay suspends the course of the procedure for the attachment of remuneration, as well as the indication of the date on which that period expires (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that contesting the proceedings does not prevent another creditor from issuing an order for the purpose of garnishing remuneration (in very apparent characters)
  • The designation of the court to which the challenges are to be made (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that, if the debtor considers himself in a situation of over-indebtedness, he may file an overindebtedness file (in very apparent characters).

An enrollment already exists

To be valid, the order to pay must contain the following information:

  • The enforceable title
  • Separate statement of amounts claimed in principal (amount originally due), fees and interest accrued, and interest rate
  • The summons, within one month, to have to pay the sums indicated or to reach an agreement with the creditor, otherwise the seizure of his remuneration may be triggered.
  • The indication that the debtor may, at any time, refer the matter to the enforcement judge if he wishes to contest the proceedings in progress (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that the enforcement judge must bring a challenge by summons within one month after the notification of the order to pay suspends the course of the procedure for the attachment of remuneration, as well as the indication of the date on which that period expires (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that contesting the proceedings does not prevent another creditor from issuing an order for the purpose of garnishing remuneration (in very apparent characters)
  • The designation of the court to which the challenges are to be made (in very apparent characters)
  • The indication that if the debtor considers himself in a situation of over-indebtedness, he can file an overindebtedness file (in very apparent characters).

The command to pay may be challenged before the enforcement judge, who must be seized by summons.

This procedure must be notified on the same day or on 1er business day next to the commissioner of justice who served the command to payotherwise, the enforcement judge will be obliged to consider the challenge inadmissible.

FYI  

Have a lawyer is mandatory as soon as the amount of the unpaid amount reaches €10,000.

The competent judge shall be enforcement judge the place where the debtor lives. But if he lives abroad or has no known domicile, the competent judge is the judge of enforcement of the domicile of the company that employs the debtor.

Where a challenge is made within one month of the meaning of command to payHowever, this has the effect of suspending the wage attachment procedure, pending the decision of the judge.

It is possible to appeal the decision of the enforcement judge. In the event of an appeal, a stay of execution of the decisions taken by the enforcement judge may be requested at 1er president of the court of appeal. This request must be made by summons issued to the opposing party (as the case may be, the debtor or the creditor).

One month after the service of the order to pay to the debtor, where the debtor has not requested to seek an agreement, or where the search for an agreement has failed, the creditor may continue the wage attachment procedure. This procedure consists of several steps, which must be carried out one after the other:

1Request the designation of a “dispatching justice commissioner”

The creditor must first ask the National Chamber of Commissioners of Justice to appoint a dispatching justice commissioner.

Depending on the case, dispatching justice commissioner designated may be:

  • Either the judicial commissioner seizing, i.e. the Commissioner of Justice who issued the order to pay,
  • Or another commissioner of justice.

The dispatching justice commissioner will be responsible for receiving payments from the debtor's employer, remitting them to the arresting creditor and to distribute the sums paid when several creditors have made themselves known.

FYI  

The debtor and his employer shall be informed of the identity and contact details of the dispatching justice commissioner. This information is also recorded on the digital register of salary entries.

2Serve a “record of seizure”

The creditor must charge the judicial commissioner seizing to serve on the employer of the debtor one record of seizure. If the debtor works on a temporary basis, the record of seizure is sent to the temporary work company.

To be valid, the record of seizure must contain the following information:

  • The name and address of the debtor
  • The indication that the employer must send monthly to the dispatching justice commissioner an amount equal to the seizable portion of the salary
  • The method of calculation of the seizable fraction and the methods of its settlement
  • The obligation to provide the Commissioner of Justice, within 15 days at the latest from the service of the notice of seizure, with the information provided for in Article L. 212-8
  • Reproduction of articles L. 212-7, L. 212-8 and L. 212-14
  • The identity and contact details of the dispatching justice commissioner that has been designated
  • The statement of the sums for which the seizure takes place, distinguishing the amount of the initial debt, costs, interest, and the rate of interest.

The record of seizure must be accompanied a certificate issued by judicial commissioner seizing. The certificate shall certify that the debtor has not lodged a dispute within one month of service of the command to pay.

The commissioner of justice must respect the deadlines following:

  • Signify the record of seizure to the employer within 3 months after service of the command to pay, otherwise the command to pay no longer valid. But this period is increased by the time of suspension of the wage attachment procedure related to the attempted agreement, when minutes of agreement is concluded within 3 months.
  • Register the record of seizure on the digital register of salary entries, on the day of service or on 1er business day next, otherwise it is not valid.
  • Notify the act of seizure to the debtor within 8 days after service of the notice of seizure, otherwise the act of seizure is not valid. The act of seizure is a document that must indicate the court before which it can be challenged, and specify that if the debtor changes employer, the seizure can be continued with this new employer, without a new one command to pay prior is necessary.

At any time, the debtor may challenge the attachment procedure.

For this, he must bring an action by subpoena before the enforcement judge of his place of residence. If he lives abroad or has no known domicile, the competent judge is the judge of enforcement of the place of domicile of the company that employs him.

Have a lawyer is mandatory as soon as the amount of the unpaid amount reaches €10,000.

The enforcement judge may authorize the seizure of the undisputed portion of the debt. This decision does not need to be notified, it is directly enforceable. But the judge's decision can be appealed.

In case of appeal, it is possible to request a stay of execution at 1er president of the court of appeal. This request must be made by summons issued to the opposing party (i.e. the creditor or the debtor). If necessary, the employer must be informed of this request.

Another creditor may join the current wage attachment if he/she meets the following conditions:

  • Have a enforceable title noting a receivable cash (amount encrypted and not disputed by the debtor) and due (payment due).
  • Instruct a commissioner of justice to issue a command to pay to the debtor. The Commissioner of Justice has an obligation to record the command to pay the digital register of earnings seizures, on the day of its meaning to the debtor, or 1er business day next.

One month after service of command to pay, the other creditor must indicate his wish to join the ongoing proceedings. To do this, he must appoint a commissioner of justice:

  • To signify a act of intervention to 1er creditor, or, if the dispatching justice commissioner has already been designated, to serve him with an act of intervention.
  • To notify the act of intervention to the debtor within 8 days of service,
  • To register it in digital register of seizures on remuneration the day of service or the 1er business day From this day of registration, the sums paid by the debtor's employer will be distributed taking into account the new creditor concerned.

To be valid, the act of intervention must contain the following information:

  • The name, surname and address of the debtor,
  • The enforceable title
  • A separate statement of the principal amount claimed (amount originally due), the fees and interest accrued, and the interest rate.

When a notice of seizure is served to a company, she shall provide to the creditor the following information:

  • The situation of the debtor in the company (e.g. on a fixed-term contract), if he pays him remuneration, and the amount of the sum to be paid to him the month after service of the record of seizure.
  • Assignments, seizures, SATD: titleContent or direct payments of maintenance payments in the course of enforcement in respect of the debtor.

To be valid, the record of seizure must contain the following information:

  • The name and address of the debtor
  • The indication that the employer must send monthly to the dispatching justice commissioner an amount equal to the seizable portion of the salary
  • The method of calculation of the seizable fraction and the methods of its settlement
  • The obligation to provide the Commissioner of Justice, within 15 days at the latest from the service of the notice of seizure, with the information provided for in Article L. 212-8
  • Reproduction of articles L. 212-7, L. 212-8 and L. 212-14
  • The identity and contact details of the dispatching justice commissioner that has been designated
  • The statement of the sums for which the seizure takes place, distinguishing the amount of the initial debt, costs, interest, and the rate of interest.

FYI  

A company which, without lawful cause, fails to make such a statement, or makes a false statement, may be ordered to pay a civil fine of €10,000 maximum and to be paid damages and interest. To do so, the creditor must apply to the enforcement judge.

No later than 15 days after service of record of seizure, the company shall provide the dispatching justice commissioner the following information:

  • The situation of the debtor in the company (e.g. on a fixed-term contract), if he pays him remuneration, and the amount of the sum to be paid to him the month after service of the record of seizure.
  • Assignments, seizures, SATD: titleContent, or direct payments of maintenance payments in the course of enforcement in respect of the debtor.

Every month, the company shall pay to the dispatching justice commissioner deductions from the debtor's salary. These deductions must be made within the limits of the amounts available.

FYI  

If the company does not make these payments, it may be ordered by the judge to pay the deductions that should have been made from the debtor's salary.

In the event of an event that suspends or terminates the entry, the company shall inform the dispatching justice commissioner, within 8 days.

Please note

It's only after the release the seizure that the company may bring an action against the debtor.

Most of the time, the amount of seizable income is calculated on the basis of accumulated net wages collected in the previous 12 months the record of seizure.

Please note

When the employee receives wages from several employers, the seizable income is calculated on all of these amounts.

But the seizable income also consists of the following amounts:

  • Supplementary allowances provided in the event of a reduction in working hours (unemployment, part-time work, temporary part-time work)
  • Return to Work Allowance (RTO)
  • Solidarity Allowance for the Elderly (Aspa)
  • Unemployment benefits (allowances, aids and any other benefits paid by France Travail - formerly Pôle emploi -)
  • Voluntary Retirement Benefit
  • Daily sickness, maternity and child benefit
  • Disability pensions and life annuities
  • Retirement pensions and survivor's pensions.

In addition, family benefits may be seized only in certain cases and for the payment of certain claims only.

On the other hand, certain amounts are not included in the seizable income:

  • Disabled Adult Allowance (AAH) and independent living allowance (AVM), except for the payment of maintenance costs for the disabled person
  • Personalized Autonomy Allowance (Apa)
  • Specific Solidarity Allowance (SSA)
  • Capital allowances or pensions for accidents at work
  • Severance payments resulting from the company's economic situation
  • Severance payments
  • Retirement allowances
  • Allowances representative of professional expenses
  • Conventional Termination Allowances
  • Activity bonus
  • Participation and profit-sharing premiums
  • Active Solidarity Income (ASR).

The maximum amount of garnishment varies, depending on whether the garnishment is used to repay an unpaid child support or other debt:

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Unpaid child support

Seizable income may be seized in its entirety, except for Elusive bank balance (SBI).

The SBI is the minimum amount that must be left to the debtor.

This sum is at least equal to €646.52.

Warning  

The nature and amount of the amount seized must be mentioned on the pay slip, under penalty of sanctions against the employer.

Other debt

Calculation of the maximum amount of the entry

Only a fraction of the garnishable income can be withheld by the employer.

This seizable share is determined by a scale defined for a debtor living alone.

Tableau - Maximum amount of the seizure for each installment of monthly resources that can be seized

Total Monthly Seizable Resources

Seizable portion

Maximum amount of the entry

(cumulative amount)

1re slice

Up to €373.33

1/20e

€18.67

2e slice

Beyond €373.33 and until €727.50

1/10e

€54.08

3e slice

Beyond €727.50 and until €1,083.33

1/5e

€125.25

4e slice

Beyond €1,083.33 and until €1,435.83

1/4

€213.37

5e slice

Beyond €1,435.83 and until €1,789.17

1/3

€331.15

6e slice

Beyond €1,789.17 and until €2,150.83

2/3

€572.26

7e slice

Beyond €2,150.83

100%

€572.26

+ the totality of the sums beyond €2,150.83

Example :

  • For the debtor whose total of the monthly resources that can be seized is €1,500, the amount of the seizure may be up to €331.15 - ((€1,789.17 - €1,500) x 1/3) = €234.76 per month.
  • For the debtor whose total of the monthly resources that can be seized is €2,500, the amount of the seizure may be up to €572.26 + (2,500 - €2,150.83) =€921.43 per month.

The amount of the installments shall be increased, for each person dependent on the debtor, by €145.00.

The debtor's dependants are, on presentation of supporting documents, the following:

  • Spouse, partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or cohabiting partner whose resources are less than €646.52
  • Dependent children (who live with him or for whom he pays child support)
  • Ascendant whose resources are less than €646.52 and who lives with him or for whom he pays child support.

FYI  

It is obligatory to leave at the disposal of the debtor Elusive bank balance (SBI), that is to say at least €646.52.

Estimated amount of seizure

It is possible to estimate the maximum amount that can be captured using a simulator:

Estimate the amount of the salary (or salary) seizure

Warning  

The nature and amount of the amount seized must be mentioned on the pay slip, under penalty of sanctions against the employer.

The rules are different depending on whether there is one or more creditors involved in the attachment of wages:

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

One creditor

Every month, the dispatching justice commissioner payment to the creditor of amounts received from the employer.

Several creditors

How are the amounts seized distributed?

First, the dispatching justice commissioner must notify one allocation project to each creditor who has registered a record of seizure or a act of intervention on the digital register of salary entries.

Ec allocation project must include a detailed breakdown of the allocation costs. This document states in particular that each creditor may request verification by the court registry. This indication must be clearly indicated (“in very apparent characters”).

To be valid, the allocation project must indicate that each creditor has a period of 8 days to address his remarks to the dispatching justice commissioner.

At the end of that period, the dispatching justice commissioner establishes a allocation status. This allocation status is notified creditors and the debtor.

The debtor or each creditor may contest the allocation status before the enforcement judge, provided that it is done within 8 days. If he does, he must notify the dispatching justice commissioner same day or 1er business day by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

FYI  

Pending the decision of the enforcement judge, the sums seized and received by the dispatching justice commissioner are retained (or on file) to the Caisse des dépôts et consignations.

When are the amounts seized paid?

At least once every 6 weeks, the dispatching justice commissioner remits to creditors the amounts received from the employer.

It allocates the total amount received among the creditors in accordance with the allocation status.

Each creditor receives an amount proportional to the amount of his claim (initial debt, fees and interest).

Each payment is accompanied by a detailed breakdown of the allocation costs. This document states in particular that each creditor may request verification of this statement at the court registry. This indication must be clearly indicated (“in very apparent characters”).

The release the seizure, which marks the end of the wage seizure, may take place:

  • Either when the dispatching justice commissioner finds that the debt is repaid,
  • Either by decision of the enforcement judge,
  • Either by agreement of all the creditors concerned.

In case of release, the dispatching justice commissioner shall perform the following actions:

  • Inform the company that employs the debtor within 8 days,
  • Write off record of seizure and the acts of intervention registered on the digital register of salary entries.

Before July 2025

From 1er July 2025, some of the rules of the wage attachment procedure change.

Depending on the stage in progress on that date (the employer already applies the deductions from the debtor's salary, the judge has authorized the attachment on salary, the application has just been filed with the judge), the modalities for continuing the procedure of attachment on salary vary:

From 1er July 2025, the company must cease all payments to the Registry from the court. Any payment made to the court registry after that date shall be rejected.

FYI  

The amounts paid by the employer until June 30, 2025 are allocated, before June 1er October 2025, between creditors concerned by the registry of the court.

From 1er July 2025, the wage attachment procedure is transmitted by the Registry of the General Court to the creditor's commissioner of justice.

This transmission takes the form of a minutes containing the following information:

  • Name, forenames and domicile of the creditor (in the case of a legal person, its registered office)
  • Name, surname and domicile of the debtor
  • Name and address of the company employing the debtor
  • The amount for which the entry was authorized
  • The amount of money that has already been distributed among creditors
  • If applicable, amount of money received before 1er July 2025 and which have not been allocated.

From the transmission of the wage attachment procedure to the creditor's commissioner of justice, the creditor has 3 months to confirm to the commissioner of justice, by all means, his willingness to continue the procedure of attachment on wages. The Commissioner of Justice must write this confirmation on the digital register of salary entries.

If the creditor has confirmed his willingness to continue the wage attachment procedure, the wage attachment continues in accordance with the rules of wage attachment initiated from 1er July 2025, including:

  • The creditor must ask the National Chamber of Commissioners of Justice to appoint a dispatching justice commissioner.
  • The Commissioner of Justice must forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.
  • The company will be served a record of seizure, and it will now have to pay the deductions made from the debtor’s salary to the dispatching justice commissioner.

Where the judge has authorized the attachment of wages, and as soon as that judgment can no longer be appealed (because the time limit for appeal has expired or because it is no longer possible to appeal), the procedure for attachment of wages is transmitted by the Registry of the General Court to the commissioner of justice of the creditor.

This transmission takes the form of a minutes containing the following information:

  • Name, forenames and domicile of the creditor (in the case of a legal person, its registered office)
  • Name, surname and domicile of the debtor
  • Name and address of the company employing the debtor
  • The amount for which the entry was authorized.

The Commissioner of Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

From the transmission of the attachment procedure, the creditor has 3 months to confirm to the Commissioner of Justice, by all means, his willingness to continue the attachment procedure. The Commissioner of Justice must write this confirmation on the digital register of salary entries.

Then, the creditor must ask the National Chamber of Commissioners of Justice to designate a dispatching justice commissioner, and the Commissioner for Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

The procedure for attachment of wages shall then continue in accordance with the rules applicable to attachment of wages made from 1er July 2025.

FYI  

The rules for calculating the amount of seizure and the types of seizable income remain the same.

Reminder on the stage of appealing to the judge

1. Conditions to be met before filing a request

The creditor must have a enforceable title noting a receivable cash (amount encrypted and not disputed by the debtor) and due (payment due).

The creditor seeking payment of unpaid maintenance may resort to this procedure. However, it may prefer to initiate a direct payment (procedure for recovering unpaid amounts from the application and up to 6 months before the application).

2. Appeal to the judge

The competent judge shall be enforcement judge the court of law on which the debtor's domicile depends.

If the debtor resides abroad or has no known domicile, this is the enforcement judge the court of law to which the domicile of the debtor's employer depends.

The creditor may itself seize enforcement judgeor call on a lawyer, or a bailiff (now called a commissioner of justice) or notary of the jurisdiction of the competent court, or any other person who has a power of attorney.

Who shall I contact

To enter the enforcement judge, a letter must be filed or sent by post to the secretariat-registry of the tribunal query, together with a copy of enforceable title.

The request can be written on free paper or be made with the form cerfa no. 15708.

The request must include the following information:

  • Name, surname, occupation, domicile, nationality, date and place of birth of the creditor
  • Name and address of the person against whom the application is made, or, in the case of legal person, its name and its registered office
  • Purpose of the request
  • Name and address of the debtor's employer
  • Separate statement of amounts claimed in principal (i.e. amount originally due), fees and interest due and indication of interest rate
  • Details of the payment of the amounts seized.
Who shall I contact

How does the attempt to reach a conciliation before the judge work?

1. Summons to the hearing

The creditor and the debtor shall be summoned at least 15 days before the date of the conciliation hearing.

FYI  

At the hearing, it is possible to be represented, in particular by a lawyer (paid approach).

2. During the hearing

The enforcement judge attempt to agree between creditor and debtor, including by granting payment terms or providing for repayment by partial payments.

If the debtor does not appear, the judge may order the seizure, unless he considers that a new summons is necessary.

At the end of the hearing

The hearing concludes differently, depending on whether or not an agreement has been reached between the creditor and the debtor:

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

An agreement is reached

One minutes of conciliation is written. It is signed by the creditor and the debtor. The wage garnishment does not take place.

Warning  

If the debtor does not comply with the commitments he made at the hearing, the creditor may resume the wage attachment procedure.

Disagreement persists

2 possible outcomes, depending on whether or not the debtor challenged the proceedings during the hearing:

The debtor did not contest the seizure

One minutes of non-conciliation is written. It shall indicate the amount of the claim for which the seizure may be effected.

The court registry shall forward the attachment procedure to the creditor's commissioner of justice.

This transmission takes the form of a minutes containing the following information:

  • Name, forenames and domicile of the creditor (in the case of a legal person, its registered office)
  • Name, surname and domicile of the debtor
  • Name and address of the company employing the debtor
  • The amount for which the entry was authorized.

The Commissioner of Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

From the transmission of the attachment procedure, the creditor has 3 months to confirm to the Commissioner of Justice, by all means, his willingness to continue the attachment procedure. The Commissioner of Justice must write this confirmation on the digital register of salary entries.

Then, the creditor must ask the National Chamber of Commissioners of Justice to designate a dispatching justice commissioner, and the Commissioner for Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

The procedure for attachment of wages shall then continue in accordance with the rules applicable to attachment of wages made from 1er July 2025.

FYI  

The rules for calculating the amount of seizure and the types of seizable income remain the same.

The debtor challenged the seizure

One minutes of non-conciliation is written.

The enforcement judge shall rule on the challenge, immediately or at a subsequent hearing.

When the enforcement judge authorizes the attachment of wages, and as soon as this judgment is no longer subject to appeal (because the time limit for appeal has expired, or because it is no longer possible to appeal), the procedure of attachment of wages is transmitted by the court registry to the commissioner of justice of the creditor.

This transmission takes the form of a minutes containing the following information:

  • Name, forenames and domicile of the creditor (in the case of a legal person, its registered office)
  • Name, surname and domicile of the debtor
  • Name and address of the company employing the debtor
  • The amount for which the entry was authorized.

The Commissioner of Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

From the transmission of the attachment procedure, the creditor has 3 months to confirm to the Commissioner of Justice, by all means, his willingness to continue the attachment procedure. The Commissioner of Justice must write this confirmation on the digital register of salary entries.

Then, the creditor must ask the National Chamber of Commissioners of Justice to designate a dispatching justice commissioner, and the Commissioner for Justice must then forward the minutes to the dispatching justice commissioner.

The procedure for attachment of wages shall then continue in accordance with the rules applicable to attachment of wages made from 1er July 2025.

FYI  

The rules for calculating the amount of seizure and the types of seizable income remain the same.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

FAQ