What A Creditor Cannot Take
A.R.S. 33-1131 — garnishment takes at most 10 percent of disposable earnings, and a homestead up to $400,000 is exempt
Wages: the lesser of two figures. The most of a debtor's disposable earnings for a workweek that can be taken by process is 10 percent, or the amount by which that week's disposable earnings exceed sixty times the applicable minimum hourly wage, whichever is less. Disposable earnings are what remains after deductions required by law.
Those limits do not apply to an order for support. Under a support order, one-half of the disposable earnings for the pay period is exempt.
A homestead up to $400,000. A resident at least eighteen years of age may hold one homestead, of the kinds the section lists, exempt from attachment, execution and forced sale up to $400,000 in equity. A married couple holds one. Identifiable cash proceeds from selling it stay exempt for eighteen months or until a new homestead is established, whichever is shorter.
- Up to $20,000 paid to a surviving spouse or child on the life of a deceased spouse, parent or guardian.
- Child support or spousal maintenance received under a court order.
- Benefits under a health, accident or disability insurance policy or employer plan.
- The cash surrender value of life insurance owned for two years that names the debtor's spouse, child, parent, brother or sister.
Sources for this section (3)
- A.R.S. 33-1131 — Definition; wages; salary; compensation
- A.R.S. 33-1101 — Homestead exemptions
- A.R.S. 33-1126 — Money benefits or proceeds; exception
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.