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I wasn't sure if this question landed in finance, legal or workplace, but the end question is about when/if to engage legal representation.

Summary: For decades I had my student loans paid by automated payment from my bank without a problem; just take it out of my bank and there's a small benefit in interest for it.

Recently, my current employer showed me that there was a collections office who would take 15% of my salary and if they did not 'okay' it, there could be legal ramifications. The office naturally had to sign it. Now 15% of my salary is being removed by this collection agency.

Background: This part of the Federal student loan had become part of a separate agency and as I was not paying it, it defaulted two years ago without any notification to me.

I am happy to pay for the last fifteen years, and I understand it should have been my responsibility to notice my automatic withdrawals had a different amount (?) from my set-aside account for those payments, but the surprise is sudden and with ten days notice, I've received no movement other than now my salary is being taken by a draconian amount without me signing a single thing other than the original loan in 2005ish.

My question to this forum is: Does this sound legally dodgy - as in I should seek representation, or is this status quo and if phone and mail conversations are resulting in no change, it is something generally accepted by other people in my situation.

My question isn't necessarily about my employer signing 'ok,' nor about how I feel about the student loan (I of course have always endeavored to pay my debts), but if this is a legal issue based on my summary.

(Yes, of course the end-answer is to consult an attorney, but before those $$$...)

Defaulting on student loans is, along with back taxes and child support, one of the three cases where a court order is not required for wage garnishment. This article spells out remedies against such defaults. For example, they can intercept your tax refund, Social security payments, or your wage. They can take up to 15%, but not more than 30 times the federal minimum wage. So yo don't need to have signed a single thing other than the original loan agreement. That does not guarantee that your particular situation is iron-clad, but it is not obviously legally improper. The only way to be sure is to hire an attorney to fight the garnishment. A brief initial consultation is probably free.

If this is a federal student loan, I would check with the U.S. Department of Education to make sure you have any federal loans in default and what agency is servicing them.

If it is a case of federal loan default, there is little legal recourse other than trying to return the loan to good standing.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/default