Answer:
They can put a levi on your bank account, even if your balance is next to nothing. For example, if you had 95 cents in the account and you owned ten thousand dollars, they would put a levi on the account and you would be in the negative for over ten thousand dollars. The bank will also charge you a fee for the levi as well. You will never be able to have a bank account, even after twenty years because they will keep renewing the judgment. It's better to declare bankruptcy or work something out with the creditors, if possible. Beware of the fact that if you can't pay all at once, and they want to take any money from any employer, if you read the fine print, it will mentioned that if you waive your right for defense of garnishment, you pretty much will be living out on the streets homeless if you miss a payment. The legal contract that binds you will make them come after any money you owe and they would be able to garnish essentially all of it. Even if you have nothing now, you may want to get a job sometime in the future. I'd be really careful. The only way to avoid this is to declare bankruptcy, in most circumstances, except for alimony, child support or student loans as they are not able to be discharged.
If you owe money for child support and you have nothing, they can put you in jail. Bankruptcy will not help. If will not even matter if you are ill or in the hospital either. I've heard of cases where people were sick, went into the hospital, could not pay their alimony, had to appear before the judge, pleaded their case, and the judge still put them in jail. I hope all that helps. I think we would need to hear more about your story to understand the whole situation. In most cases, bankruptcy would give you debt relief, but you pretty much can't get out of a student loan (in very rare cases you may), alimony, IRS taxes and child support. If your ex tries to get you and you owe money, your pretty much going to have to pay regardless. If you don't, it's possible you will go to jail.
Sometimes people get out of student loans by using their credit card to pay off the student loan or get another private loan, default and then declaring bankruptcy. I wouldn't suggest that, but I have heard of those stories before. Each state has different laws, anyway. Florida has very strict rules about wage garnishments, so it's most likely that they wouldn't be able to garnish anything under 500 a week if you are the head of the house. They possibly could take your car, if you have enough equity or take any of your possessions. The sheriff would receive a court order and come to where you live and take anything you own to pay the debt. You must own something? A computer, stereo, camera, clothing, guitar or expensive cell phone etc. Essentially, unless you can prove that your "judgment proof" they will find a way to take anything. If you ever come into any inheritance money, lotto money, gifts - just about anything at all - it's possible they could take that. My friend had a judgment against him and they found very creative ways. He's on SS and yes, they tried to even take his SS money, even when we told the bank and showed them papers which strictly stated that this account was being used for SS purposes and not co-mingled with any other money. We had to fight it to recoup all the money they stole, but he has been living his life like this for many years. It's not a way to live. If you can declare bankruptcy or pay the bills whenever you come into some money I'd highly suggest that. Hope that helps.