Can debt collectors garnish your spouse's income for your debt?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money Can debt collectors garnish your spouse's income for your debt? We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications. Read Full Bio Angelica Leicht June 11, 2026 / 10:37 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google If you're carrying unpaid debt, it's important to know how escalating collection efforts could impact your partner. Tatiana Lavrova/Getty Images After several years of rising prices and mounting financial pressure, many Americans are finding that the debt they've accumulated is increasingly more expensive and, in turn, harder to manage. And numerous looming issues are adding to the problem. Credit card balances are near record levels, interest rates remain elevated and everyday expenses continue to consume a larger share of household budgets. As a result, even borrowers who previously stayed on top of their payments are feeling increasing strain.For some, that budgetary stress can eventually lead to missed debt payments and, over time, escalating collection activity. And while many people assume debt is solely the responsibility of the person who borrowed the money, it makes sense to wonder if the same holds when you're married or in a long-term partnership and have combined your finances. After all, in these cases, financial issues that begin with one spouse can create concerns for the entire household, particularly if they're related to aggressive collection efforts like wage garnishment.So, if a creditor tak...