§ 17420 Child Support Wage Garnishment

Family Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says that if a parent is ordered to pay child support, the court must automatically take the money from their paycheck.

Key Takeaways

•If a parent owes child support, the court takes it straight from their paycheck.
•The parent doesn’t get to choose—the court makes the boss do it.
•This happens after a judge decides how much support is owed.

Example

A dad is ordered to pay $500 a month for his kid but doesn’t pay.

The court will tell his boss to take $500 from his paycheck every month and send it to the mom.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 17420 Child Support Wage Garnishment

After judgment in any court action brought to enforce the support obligation of a noncustodial parent pursuant to the provisions of this division, the court shall issue an earnings assignment order for support pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5200) of Part 5 of Division 9. (Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 478, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

earnings assignment order for support noncustodial parent support obligation

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Family Code. Section 17420.

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Key Terms

Related Statutes

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References