---
title: O.C.G.A. § 18-4-12. Entity as garnishee.
collection: code
id: 18-4-12
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 18-4-12 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-12
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-12.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-12/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t18-t19-(v16)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=b0848ebd_0#page=197
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: DEBTOR AND CREDITOR / GARNISHMENT PROCEEDINGS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 18-4-12. Entity as garnishee.

(a) When a garnishment proceeding is filed in a court under any provision of this chapter involving an entity as garnishee, the execution and filing of a garnishee answer may be done by an entity’s authorized officer, employee, or any individual or entity engaged by such garnishee for the purpose of processing payrolls or accounts payable and shall not constitute the practice of law. If a claim or traverse is filed to such entity’s garnishee answer in a court of record, an attorney shall be required to represent such entity in further garnishment proceedings.

(b) An entity’s payment into court of any money or other property of the defendant, or money or other property which is admitted to be subject to garnishment, may be done by an entity’s authorized officer, employee, or any individual or entity engaged by such garnishee for the purpose of processing payrolls or accounts payable and shall not constitute the practice of law.

## History

Code 1981, § 18-4-12, enacted by Ga. L. 2016, p. 8, § 1/SB 255; Ga. L. 2020, p. 691, § 10/SB 443.

The 2020 amendment, effective January 1, 2021, substituted “employee, or any individual or entity engaged by such garnishee for the purpose of processing payrolls or accounts payable” in subsections (a) and (b).

## Law Reviews

For article discussing an advisory opinion issued by the Standing Committee on the Unlicensed Practice of Law on the issue of execution and filing of an answer in the garnishment action by a nonattorney employee of the garnishee, see 16 (No. 1) Ga. St. B.J. 102 (2010).