Judgment against me for a debt in Kansas: what to do

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026

In Kansas:

Claim an exemption after a garnishment or bank levy
After the garnishment is served, the creditor must send you a notice explaining the exemptions and how to claim them.
How much of your pay can be taken
The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage.
Do this now
Get a copy of the judgment from the court clerk, and note the date, the amount, any interest and costs, and the creditor's lawyer.

Make this letter for Kansas →

General legal information, not legal advice. RobinClaim is not a law firm.

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Choose your state and answer 3 quick questions. The plan below changes as you answer: steps that don't fit your answers are hidden, and your state's deadlines appear. Your answers stay in the page address.

Your plan for Kansas

Do now

  1. Get a copy of the judgment from the court clerk, and note the date, the amount, any interest and costs, and the creditor's lawyer.

    Why: These show how much you owe now and when each deadline starts.

  2. If you didn't answer because you never got the papers or had a good reason, see the default judgment plan: there is a short deadline to ask the court to set it aside.

    Why: If the judgment is set aside, the case reopens and you can defend it.

  3. If you went to court and lost, ask the clerk right away about the deadline to appeal or to ask for a new trial.

    Why: These deadlines are short and count from the date of the judgment.

  4. If you agreed to the judgment, read the agreement again for the payment terms and what happens if a payment is late.

    Why: A judgment, even an agreed one, is a court order the creditor can enforce under its terms.

  5. Check your state's deadline to claim an exemption, and the deadline on the garnishment or levy notice, and mark it.

    Claim an exemption after a garnishment or bank levy

    Kansas: After the garnishment is served, the creditor must send you a notice explaining the exemptions and how to claim them.

    Why: If you miss it, money the law protects can be paid to the creditor.

This week

  1. Read your state's rules below on wage garnishment, bank levies and exemptions.

    How much of your pay can be taken

    Kansas: The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage.

    Why: For an ordinary debt, federal law lets a creditor take at most 25% of your take-home pay, or the part above 30 times the federal minimum wage if that is less, and many states protect more.

  2. File the claim of exemption with the court or officer named on the garnishment papers; see the wage garnishment plan.

    Why: You can ask to keep pay you need to support yourself and your family.

  3. File the claim of exemption for the money in the frozen account that the law protects; see the bank levy plan.

    Why: Exempt money must be released, but often only after you claim it.

  4. Tell your bank and the court that the account receives federal benefits. The bank must protect two months of directly deposited federal benefits automatically, and you can claim other protected benefit money.

    Why: Federal rules make banks protect up to two months of directly deposited federal benefits, and Social Security can't be garnished by a private creditor.

  5. If you can pay something, contact the creditor's lawyer about a payment plan or a lump-sum settlement, and get the agreement in writing before you pay.

    Why: A written agreement can stop or avoid a garnishment and proves what you agreed to.

If it's not resolved

  1. Keep records of every payment and every amount taken, and ask for a written payoff amount.

    Why: So you know when the judgment is paid and collection must stop.

  2. Note how long the judgment lasts in your state and whether it can be renewed.

    Kansas: A judgment becomes dormant if no renewal affidavit is filed and no execution or garnishment is issued within 5 years after it is entered (or within 5 years after the…

    Why: A judgment may not go away on its own; creditors can often renew it.

  3. When the judgment is paid in full, ask the creditor's lawyer for written proof and ask the clerk how the court records that the judgment is paid.

    Why: The court record should show the debt is paid, so it doesn't come back later.

  4. If you have several judgments or can't cover basic needs, ask legal aid about bankruptcy.

    Why: A bankruptcy filing stops most garnishments and collection while the case is open.

Deadlines

Claim an exemption after a garnishment or bank levy

General rule: see state; the deadline is also printed on the notice

In Kansas:

After the garnishment is served, the creditor must send you a notice explaining the exemptions and how to claim them. To claim an exemption (or object to how your exempt earnings were figured), file a request for hearing no later than 14 days after you were served with the notice, get the hearing date from the clerk, and hand-deliver or mail a copy to the creditor or its lawyer. The hearing is held 7 to 14 days after your request. You must prove the money is exempt.

Law: K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735 · checked Oct 2026 · Official source · From Debt Suit Map: Kansas

How much of your pay can be taken

General rule: Federal: lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 x federal minimum wage per week; state may protect more

In Kansas:

The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment in any 30-day period, and a debt buyer or collection agency that was assigned your account can't garnish wages at all (K.S.A. 60-2310(b), (d)).

Law: K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735 · checked Oct 2026 · Official source · From Debt Suit Map: Kansas

Freezing a bank account

General rule: see state; two months of directly deposited federal benefits are protected automatically

In Kansas:

The creditor gets an order of garnishment served on your bank, which holds the nonexempt money in your account. No fixed dollar amount in a bank account is protected automatically; you must claim exemptions, such as Social Security and other exempt funds.

Law: K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735 · checked Oct 2026 · Official source · From Debt Suit Map: Kansas

How long the judgment lasts

General rule: see state

In Kansas:

A judgment becomes dormant if no renewal affidavit is filed and no execution or garnishment is issued within 5 years after it is entered (or within 5 years after the last renewal or execution). A dormant judgment can be revived by a motion filed within 2 years after it became dormant. After 2 more years of dormancy, the judge must release it when asked.

Law: K.S.A. 16-204(e)(1), (2); K.S.A. 60-2403, 60-2404; K.S.A. 61-3610 · checked Oct 2026 · Official source · From Debt Suit Map: Kansas

Interest on the judgment

General rule: see state

In Kansas:

Limited actions judgments: 12% a year. Regular civil (Chapter 60) judgments: 4 percentage points above the Federal Reserve discount rate as of the July 1 before the judgment, adjusted every July 1; the Secretary of State publishes the rate in the Kansas Register each July.

Law: K.S.A. 16-204(e)(1), (2); K.S.A. 60-2403, 60-2404; K.S.A. 61-3610 · checked Oct 2026 · Official source · From Debt Suit Map: Kansas

Key facts for Kansas

Debt Suit Map

Time to answer a debt lawsuit
as few as 21 days
Shortest time to ask to cancel a default judgment
14 days
Official answer form
No official form found
How long a judgment lasts
5 years

Debt Suit Map: Kansas · checked Oct 2026

Debt Collector Map

Time limit to sue on a debt
5 years (written contract), 3 years (open account)
Wage garnishment limit
25% (federal limit)

Debt Collector Map: Kansas · checked Oct 2026

Documents to gather

  • A copy of the judgment
  • Garnishment or bank levy notices and any exemption claim form
  • Recent pay stubs
  • Bank statements showing federal benefit deposits
  • Proof of household expenses (rent, utilities, child care)
  • Records of every payment you made

Where to go

Costs

Filing a claim of exemption is often free; ask the clerk. While the judgment is unpaid, interest and collection costs can keep adding up, at the rate your state sets.

Talk to a lawyer if

  • You never knew about the lawsuit
  • More than the legal limit is being taken
  • You can't pay for rent or food
  • You have more than one judgment
  • The creditor is trying to take your home or car

Free help

Free civil legal aid for people with low income: find your local program through the Legal Services Corporation (lsc.gov/about-lsc/what-legal-aid/get-legal-help) or LawHelp.org (lawhelp.org). Many legal aid offices handle debt collection lawsuits, default judgments, garnishment and bankruptcy. Servicemembers can use their base legal (JAG) office. Some courts have free volunteer-lawyer programs or self-help centers for debt cases; ask the clerk.

Guides for your state

Guides for every state

Questions

Claim an exemption after a garnishment or bank levy in Kansas: what is the rule?

After the garnishment is served, the creditor must send you a notice explaining the exemptions and how to claim them. To claim an exemption (or object to how your exempt earnings were figured), file a request for hearing no later than 14 days after you were served with the notice, get the hearing date from the clerk, and hand-deliver or mail a copy to the creditor or its lawyer. The hearing is held 7 to 14 days after your request. You must prove the money is exempt. (K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735)

How much of your pay can be taken in Kansas: what is the rule?

The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment in any 30-day period, and a debt buyer or collection agency that was assigned your account can't garnish wages at all (K.S.A. 60-2310(b), (d)). (K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735)

Freezing a bank account in Kansas: what is the rule?

The creditor gets an order of garnishment served on your bank, which holds the nonexempt money in your account. No fixed dollar amount in a bank account is protected automatically; you must claim exemptions, such as Social Security and other exempt funds. (K.S.A. 61-3508; K.S.A. 60-735)

How long the judgment lasts in Kansas: what is the rule?

A judgment becomes dormant if no renewal affidavit is filed and no execution or garnishment is issued within 5 years after it is entered (or within 5 years after the last renewal or execution). A dormant judgment can be revived by a motion filed within 2 years after it became dormant. After 2 more years of dormancy, the judge must release it when asked. (K.S.A. 16-204(e)(1), (2); K.S.A. 60-2403, 60-2404; K.S.A. 61-3610)

Interest on the judgment in Kansas: what is the rule?

Limited actions judgments: 12% a year. Regular civil (Chapter 60) judgments: 4 percentage points above the Federal Reserve discount rate as of the July 1 before the judgment, adjusted every July 1; the Secretary of State publishes the rate in the Kansas Register each July. (K.S.A. 16-204(e)(1), (2); K.S.A. 60-2403, 60-2404; K.S.A. 61-3610)

When should I talk to a lawyer?

You never knew about the lawsuit; More than the legal limit is being taken; You can't pay for rent or food; You have more than one judgment; The creditor is trying to take your home or car.

How much does it cost?

Filing a claim of exemption is often free; ask the clerk. While the judgment is unpaid, interest and collection costs can keep adding up, at the rate your state sets.

Plans by state

Open the plan with one state's rules filled in:

Sources

Plan checked Oct 2026. Independently fact-checked 2026-10-25.

This plan is general legal information, not legal advice. RobinClaim is not a law firm. Laws and deadlines change and have exceptions: check with the official source or a lawyer or legal aid office about your own case. How we research.