The writ of attachment of wages shall be substantially in the following form: (Caption) Writ of Attachment of Wages, Salary or Commissions Commonwealth of Pennsylvania : County of : To Employer of Defendant Name You have been identified as the employer of the above-named defendant. You are directed to withhold the wages, salary and commissions of the defen- dant in your possession to satisfy the judgment against the defendant. You are notified that 1. an attachment of wages, salary and commissions has been issued; 2. you are ordered to withhold from the wages, salary and commissions of the defendant an amount per pay period which does not exceed ten (10) percent of the defendant’s net wages, salary and commissions; Net wages are all wages paid less only the following items: (1) any sup- port payments made to the court, (2) federal, state and local income taxes,
Rule 3313.Writ of Attachment of Wages. Form.
Adopted December 21, 2005 · Last amended December 21, 2005 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule supplies the form of the writ of attachment of wages, which directs the employer to withhold from the tenant's pay, excludes mandatory deductions like FICA and health premiums, and states the total amount attached.
Full Text of Rule 3313
(3) F.I.C.A. payments and nonvoluntary retirement payments, (4) union dues and (5) health insurance premiums. 3. the total amount attached is $ and the withholding must continue until the amount of the attachment is satisfied; 4. the attached wages shall be sent to the prothonotary of the court of common pleas within 15 days from the close of the last pay period in each month. The check must a. contain the name of the employee whose wages are being withheld, b. be made payable to the Prothonotary, and c. be sent to Prothonotary Court of Common Pleas Wage Attachment Remittance Address Telephone Number 5. you are entitled to deduct each pay period from the money collected from the defendant employee the costs incurred from the extra bookkeeping nec- essary to record the transaction, not exceeding $5.00 of the amount of money so collected; 6. by law, you may not take any adverse action against the defendant because his or her wages, salary or commissions have been attached; 7. you shall send the following notice to the prothonotary if the defendant has never been or is no longer an employee: I have received a Writ of Attachment in the following case: v. , No. of . Plaintiff Defendant Year The following person, , has never been Name ( ) or is no longer an employee ( ). Date: Employer * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Seal of the Court Prothonotary By Deputy
Plain-English Summary
This rule prints the writ the employer acts on to attach a tenant’s wages. Directed to the garnishee-employer, it commands withholding from the defendant’s wages, salary, or commissions and excludes required deductions — such as FICA and nonvoluntary retirement payments, union dues, and health-insurance premiums — from the base against which the attachment is figured, then states the total amount attached.
Building those exclusions into the writ keeps the attachment tied to the net earnings the tenant takes home. A uniform form gives every employer the same clear instructions for complying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the wage-attachment writ direct the employer to do?
To withhold from the tenant's wages, salary, or commissions and remit the attached amount.
Are any deductions excluded?
Yes. FICA and nonvoluntary retirement payments, union dues, and health-insurance premiums are excluded from the base.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 3313 adopted December 21, 2005, effective one month after the date of the Order, 36 Pa.B. 176.
Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation
of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: writ of attachment of wages form