Accounting and Finance
The Accounting/Finance Division is responsible for all monies received by and paid into the court system including filing fees, fines and costs on criminal and traffic cases, garnishment funds paid in to the court on civil and domestic cases, fees for copies, some child support and various other fees and costs.
The finance division is responsible for processing all garnishments filed on civil judgments. There are checks and balances in place to ensure that all payments received are applied correctly to the right cases.
Court Clerks are prohibited from giving legal advice pursuant to Supreme Court, Operating Rule 25.
GARNISHMENTS
(No fee for possessions/executions)
CLERK FEE………….………………………………….…………..$10.00
COPIES...………..………………………….…$0.25 PER PAGE
CLERK CERTIFICATION & SEAL………....$1.50
Definitions
Garnishor – A party to a lawsuit that has obtained a money judgment against another party, and issues a garnishment for collection of said judgment.
Judgment Debtor – A party to a lawsuit that has had a money judgment entered against them, making their wages, bank accounts and other assets subject to garnishment and/or execution.
Garnishee – The employer, bank or other institution that has possession of assets of the judgment debtor (wages, bank accounts, etc.) that are subject to garnishment.
Pro Se – A party representing themselves in a lawsuit without the assistance of an attorney of record.
Please note: When proceeding as either a Pro Se Plaintiff or Pro Se Defendant, you are representing to the court that you understand the law and legal procedures that need to be followed in your type of case, and you are fully capable of representing yourself. The clerk’s office cannot give you legal advice or assist you with any documents that need to be filed. If you are unable to proceed on your own, you will need to consult an attorney.
Changes to Laws Governing Garnishments
Effective January 1, 2016, the laws pertaining to garnishments changed significantly. The Missouri Supreme Court Rule governing the garnishment process is Rule 90. Whether you are a Garnishor, Judgment Debtor or Garnishee, you should read and familiarize yourself with this in order to understand what is required of you and avoid violating the law. The Circuit Clerk’s office is prohibited from giving legal advice or assistance. If you are still uncertain as to how to proceed after reviewing Rule 90, you should consult an attorney.
The new law allows a garnishor to file a continuous garnishment against a judgment debtor. This means the garnishment will be in effect from the date it is served on the garnishee until the judgment is paid in full or the judgment debtor is no longer employed by the garnishee, whichever occurs first. The new forms for both the Request for Garnishment and the Interrogatories to Garnishee are available at the Circuit Clerk’s office located on the second floor of the Court Building at 601 S Pearl Room 218 Joplin MO. You may also find them on the Forms page of this website found here.
If an attorney files a continuous garnishment on behalf of the garnishor, the attorney has the option to request that payments made by the garnishee be sent either directly to that attorney or to the Jasper County Circuit Clerk’s office. If a pro se party files a continuous garnishment, payments must be made through the Jasper County Circuit Clerk’s office. Pro se parties do not have the option of having the payments made directly to them.
If you opt to file a continuous garnishment, whether you are an attorney or a pro se plaintiff, you will be required to file a Statement of Judgment Balance with the Circuit Clerk’s office every six (6) months, pursuant to the provisions of Rule 90.
The $10.00 clerk fee still applies to all garnishments filed, including continuous garnishments. This fee needs to be paid simultaneously with the submission of the request for garnishment.
Head of Household
The exemption form is included in the paperwork that is provided to your employer or organization when a garnishment is executed. Please fill out as needed and have it notarized. If you are doing a bank garnishment, return the papers to the Sheriff’s office. If your papers are a wage garnishment, then return it to the employer or organization. If a form was not provided, contact the Sheriff’s office at (417) 358-8177 option 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see garnishment information online?
When do I have to mail in the Interrogatories to garnishee answers and/or money withheld on the garnishment?
What is the filing fee to file a garnishment?
What is the Sheriff’s fee for having a garnishment served?
The Sheriff’s fee in Jasper County is $45.00 payable by money order, cashier’s check or business check. If the garnishment will be sent to another county or state for service, you will have to call the Sheriff’s office in that county to find out their fees for service of a garnishment and what type of payments they accept (personal check, money order, etc.).