legal process
Defined in 2 places across 2 titles of the United States Code.
“legal process” means any writ, order, summons, or other similar process in the nature of garnishment, that—
(A) is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction within any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or an authorized official pursuant to an order of such a court or pursuant to State or local law; and
(B) orders the employing agency of such employee to withhold an amount from the pay of such employee, and make a payment of such withholding to another person, for a specifically described satisfaction of a legal debt of the employee, or recovery of attorney's fees, interest, or court costs; and
Source
- 1994–present5 U.S.C. § 5520AGovernment Organization and Employees · Garnishment of pay · for purposes of this section
The term “legal process” means any writ, order, summons, or other similar process in the nature of garnishment—
(A) which is issued by—
(i) a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction in any State, territory, or possession of the United States;
(ii) a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction in any foreign country with which the United States has entered into an agreement which requires the United States to honor the process; or
(iii) an authorized official pursuant to an order of such a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction or pursuant to State or local law; and
(B) which is directed to, and the purpose of which is to compel, a governmental entity which holds moneys which are otherwise payable to an individual to make a payment from the moneys to another party in order to satisfy a legal obligation of the individual to provide child support or make alimony payments.
Source
- 1996–present42 U.S.C. § 659The Public Health and Welfare · Consent by United States to income withholding, garnishment, and similar proceedings for enforcement of child support and alimony obligations · for purposes of this section