Married Women Act · 2014 Revised Edition · Part IV · Attachment of Earnings
36. Power of court to determine earnings
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
The court by which an attachment of earnings order has been made shall, on the application of the person to whom the order is directed or of the defendant or of the person in whose favour the order was made, determine whether payments to the defendant of a particular class or description specified by the application are earnings for the purposes of that order; and the person to whom the order is directed shall be entitled to give effect to any determination for the time being in force under this subsection.
earnings
“earnings”, in relation to a defendant, means any sums payable to him — (a) by way of wages or salary, including any fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or other emoluments payable in addition to wages or salary by the person paying the wages or salary or payable under a contract of service; (b) by way of pension, including an annuity in respect of past services, whether or not the services were rendered to the person paying the annuity, and including periodical payments by way of compensation for the loss abolition or relinquishment, or any diminution in the emoluments, of any office or employment;
A person to whom an attachment of earnings order is directed who makes an application under subsection (1) shall not incur any liability for failing to comply with the order as regards any payments of the class or description specified by the application which are made by him to the defendant while the application, or any appeal in consequence thereof, is pending:
defendant
“defendant”, in relation to a maintenance order or a related attachment of earnings order, means the person liable to make payments under the maintenance order;
Provided that this subsection shall not apply as regards such payments if that person subsequently withdraws the application or, as the case may be, abandons the appeal.
Terms defined in s 3
defendant
Defined · s 3“defendant”, in relation to a maintenance order or a related attachment of earnings order, means the person liable to make payments under the maintenance order;
earnings
Defined · s 3“earnings”, in relation to a defendant, means any sums payable to him — (a) by way of wages or salary, including any fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or other emoluments payable in addition to wages or salary by the person paying the wages or salary or payable under a contract of service; (b) by way of pension, including an annuity in respect of past services, whether or not the services were rendered to the person paying the annuity, and including periodical payments by way of compensation for the loss abolition or relinquishment, or any diminution in the emoluments, of any office or employment;