(a) All legal process in the nature of garnishment shall be date and time stamped by the Authorized Agent when received for the purpose of determining the order of receipt of process which is sufficient as to legal form and contains sufficient information for identification of the employee, the Authorized Agent's date and time stamp shall be conclusive evidence. Child support and alimony garnishments will be accorded priority over commercial garnishments under 5 U.S.C. 5520a as provided in 5 U.S.C. 5520a(h)(2). Garnishments shall be executed provided that the pay cycle is open for input or, if closed, will be held until the next cycle. In no event shall the Postal Service be required to vary its normal pay or disbursement cycles in order to comply with legal process of any kind. Garnishments shall be recalculated, if required, to fit within the normal postal pay cycles. The Postal Service shall not be required to withhold pay and hold the funds in escrow. The Postal Service, in its sole discretion, may process more than one garnishment at a time within the restrictions on garnishments in Section 491.9 of these regulations. The Postal Service may, in its sole discretion, accept and hold for processing garnishments received after the garnishment currently in force.

(b) The Postal Service will only accept and effectuate legal process for a person who is currently employed. Upon cessation of employment, process relating to that individual will be terminated and not retained. The Postal Service shall not be required to establish an escrow account to comply with legal process even if the applicable law of the jurisdiction requires private employers to do so. Legal process must state on its face that the Postal Service withhold up to a specific total amount of money, the Postal Service will not calculate interest, charges, or any variable in processing a garnishment. The Postal Service may continue processing a garnishment if the garnishing attorney provides the adjusted total including the additional money owed, as determined from his calculation of the variable amounts. The attorney is deemed to certify on his professional responsibility that the calculations are correct and will indemnify the employee directly for any errors. All garnishments of periodic pay may be effectuated in accordance with the bi-weekly pay schedule. The Postal Service need not vary its pay and disbursement cycles to accommodate withholding on any other cycle.

(c) Neither the Postal Service, the Postal Rate Commission nor any disbursing officer shall be liable for any payment made from moneys due from, or payable by the Postal Service or the Postal Rate Commission to any individual pursuant to legal process regular on its face.

(d) The Postal Service, the Postal Rate Commission, any disbursing officer or any other employee shall not be liable to pay money damages for failure to comply with legal process.