What does determining if a member is judgment-proof involve?

Determining if a member is judgment-proof primarily involves assessing whether their income or assets are subject to legal claims by creditors, which directly relates to the ability to garnish income. A judgment-proof individual typically has income that cannot be legally seized to satisfy a debt, often because it falls below certain legal protections. For instance, certain types of income, like social security benefits or disability payments, may be exempt from garnishment.

Understanding whether a member is judgment-proof is essential because it helps in identifying the appropriate strategies for debt management or resolution. It informs financial counselors about a member's capacity to abandon or negotiate debts and provides more context for offering suitable financial advice.

The other options focus on aspects that do not directly assess whether an individual is judgment-proof. Assessing the ability to pay debts quickly relates more to liquid financial capacity rather than legal protections. Reviewing a credit score provides insight into overall creditworthiness but doesn't directly indicate which debts can be enforced through income garnishment. Identifying existing debts is helpful for understanding financial obligations, but it does not determine legal protections regarding income.