On Tuesday, February 7, 2012, Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation immediately repealing a court-imposed mandate that companies use lawyers to handle garnishment responses filed in Georgia courts.
Last year, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that responding to a garnishment constitutes the practice of law, and thus requires a lawyer. Effective immediately, employers may resume the practice of relying on in-house human resources or payroll employees to handle garnishments. "Reducing the amount of unnecessary legal fees is just one step in making Georgia the No.1 place to do business," Deal said in a statement.
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