Justice Minister prioritizes alimony payments over other debts

Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait has emphasized that court-ordered alimony payments should take priority over other debts, including government debts, when banks withhold salaries from employees. However, the total deduction should not exceed 50% of the employee’s permanent salary
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The Al-Rai daily quoting ministry sources, said the Central Bank of Kuwait has circulated a letter from the Minister of Finance, Engineer Noura Al-Fassam, directing banks to adhere to Article (216) of the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, which prohibits salary seizures beyond the legal limits.

Al-Sumait clarified that alimony payments and government debts must be settled first. If both apply, alimony takes precedence. Once these deductions are made, any remaining amount can be deducted until the 50% salary cap is reached.

The Ministry of Justice’s General Administration of Execution has updated its system to implement these changes, allowing salary garnishments between 25% and 50%, depending on the nature of the debt. Banks are preparing for an expected surge in garnishment requests, potentially reaching 1,000 per day, and have proposed including the required deduction percentage in garnishment requests.