Garnishment: Military
Garnishment
Military
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Military Garnishment Information

Child support and alimony

Fact Sheet
Questions and Answers
Affidavit of current Family Status [PDF 49KB]
Mobilized Reservist and Child Support [PDF 108KB]
Obtaining Medical Support from Military Personnel [PDF 29KB]

Involuntary allotments from military personnel for commercial debt
Fact Sheet
Questions and Answers
Application for Involuntary Allotment (DD2653) [Fill-in PDF form]

Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act

Bankruptcy

DFAS-Garnishment Operations processes Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy orders for all branches of the military, for both active and reserve/guard components, all Military Retirees, and all civilian government employees paid from the Defense Civilian Pay System (DCPS).
Orders may be faxed or mail to us.
The Garnishment Operations Address Information:
Defense Finance and Accounting Services - Cleveland
Attention: DFAS-HGA/CL
PO Box 998002
Cleveland OH 44199-8002
When submitting correspondence to the Garnishment Operations Directorate, please ensure that you include the member's/employee's Social Security Number on the documents. Also, ensure that your return mailing address is included on the correspondence and not just on the mailing envelope.
Verification of Service
The new Internet link below will allow the public to use the Defense Manpower Data Center's (DMDC) Military Verification service to verify if someone is in the military. The Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Web site will tell you if the person is currently serving in the military. DMDC has developed this web site to enable their customers to perform the check of a person's military status themselves. The site is available on a 24-hour basis. When you perform a check at this site, based on the SSN and other personal information furnished, the system will indicate that the Department either does not possess information regarding the individual, or that the individual is in the military. The system shows this information in a signed printable letter format containing the Department of Defense seal.

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/scra/owa/home Verification of Service

Reservists with child support obligations who are called to active duty

If you are no longer activated and are back at your non-DoD civilian job and they are collecting your child support, please contact your local support enforcement agency to request a that they send us notice to terminate the order that was sent to effect your reserve pay. We cannot stop issuing support payments from your reserve pay unless we are served with a termination. Pay statements from your non-DoD civilian job are not sufficient to stop payments.

If you are receiving your garnishment support payment from an active duty military member, retired military member or a civilian, you may now have your payment sent by electronic fund transfer (EFT) to your financial institution. Submit your request to us in writing and include a copy of a voided check with the banking information clearly showing.

Payment Information regarding a Military Pay System

Payments from the military pay systems are made the first business day following the monthly payroll processing from which the payments were deducted.

Thus, if our letter informs you that your payments will start with the month of January, it means that the payment will be deducted from the member's January pay and that you should receive your payment on or about February 1st.

For payment histories, please contact your pay office directly. The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Garnishment Operations does not have access to pay records.

Receipt of Payment

For payments issued from the accounts military members (active, retired or reserve), please allow 10 business days from the date your check was issued before inquiring on the status of your payment. Checks issued from military accounts are dated for the 1st business day of each month. For checks issued from the accounts of civilian employees of the Department of Defense, please allow 7 days from the date of the normal distribution of checks (bi-weekly cycle). By waiting the suggested timeframe, adequate time will have passed to allow for delivery of your check or postal/EFT returns.

Garnishment Court Order Copy Request

Court Order Copy Request Information Direct Deposit Form [62KB PDF] provided herein. Please be sure to include your name, the member's name and member's social security number on all correspondence. All address change requests must have your signature.