Form FE15 UK: Attachment of Earnings (Family Court)

What this document is

Form FE15 is the Family Court application for an attachment of earnings order, usually abbreviated to AEO. It is used where a person has been ordered by the Family Court to pay maintenance, often child maintenance or spousal maintenance, and has fallen into arrears.

Instead of chasing the debtor directly, the creditor asks the court to redirect a portion of the debtor's salary at source. If the court grants the order, the debtor's employer becomes responsible for making the deductions each pay period and passing the money on.

The amount the debtor is allowed to keep is known as the protected earnings rate, which is set to cover essential living costs. The balance above that rate is what can be deducted, up to the normal deduction rate the court sets.

Attachment of earnings only works where the debtor is employed in the traditional sense. It generally cannot be used against self-employed people, company directors paid through dividends, or people receiving only benefits. In those situations, a different enforcement route is usually needed.

How to use this document

1. Check the underlying order is enforceable. Before filing Form FE15, make sure you have a valid Family Court order for maintenance and that payments are genuinely in arrears. You will need to refer to the order in the application, so have the case number, the date it was made, and the payment terms in front of you. If the order was made in another court, you may need to take steps to transfer it first. 2. Gather what you know about the debtor's employer. The court will need the debtor's full name, date of birth if you have it, current address, and crucially the name and address of their employer. A payroll reference or works number helps things move faster but is not essential. If you do not know where the debtor works, there is a separate process to search the attachment of earnings index, and the court can also require the debtor to provide employment details. 3. Complete Form FE15 carefully. Fill in your details as the applicant, the debtor's details, the details of the original order, and the amount of arrears you are claiming. Be precise about dates and figures because the court and the debtor will both see this. Any inconsistency between what you write and what the order says can slow the application down or give the debtor grounds to dispute it. 4. File the form with the right court. Submit the completed Form FE15 to the Family Court dealing with the original maintenance order. A court fee normally applies, so check gov.uk for the current amount and whether you qualify for a fee remission based on your income and savings. Keep a copy of everything you send, including the date of submission, in case queries come up later. 5. Respond to what happens next. The court will serve the debtor with the application and usually ask them to provide a statement of means. Based on that, the court decides whether to make an order, the normal deduction rate, and the protected earnings rate. You may need to attend a hearing if the debtor disputes the arrears or their ability to pay. Once the order is made, payments should start flowing through the debtor's employer.

Common questions