When serving a garnishment, who must sign?

• A. The named defendant
• B. The plaintiff
• C. Anyone except the named defendant
• D. The judge

Answer: (C)

Garnishment starts with a court order that reaches out to a third party who owes money to the defendant. A proper signature is required on the writ or its service paperwork to show that this action is officially authorized and has been properly served. The signer should be someone with authority other than the person being garnished; the defendant cannot sign to authorize the process. In practice, that means the writ or the service return is signed by a court official or the party who initiates the action (such as the plaintiff) or the process server who executes service. The key idea is that the signer is not the named defendant, ensuring the process remains legitimate and verifiable.