How do I go about getting reimbursement from wage garnishment?

Absent an agreement the money is yours. But if the lawyer did work in recovering the funds you of course agree that he does deserve some compensation.

Review your fee agreement for your bankruptcy. If your attorney was owed fees at the time your petition for bankruptcy was filed, he is a creditor of your estate and the automatic bankruptcy stay would prohibit him from collecting those fees. If he did collect those fees from you after filing, it would be a violation of the stay and you could file a motion to recover the amount he collected and sanctions against him for violating the stay. When you get your discharge that will discharge any liability to your attorney for those fees. Part of the discharge order is an injunction against creditors collecting on discharged debts. If your attorney collect his discharged fees from your garnished wages, you could file a motion to recover the fees from him in the bankruptcy court. If your attorney provided you services after filing not included in the fees covered by the fee agreement, especially if it included him taking a portion of your recovered wages, there should have been a new contract between you. You indicate that there was no contract for him to be paid out of the recovered wages. Give your attorney a written demand that he turn over the check to you. If he doesn't, you can either file a motion in the bankruptcy court to compel him to turn it over or file a complaint with the state bar association. Filing a complaint with the state bar would be easier. However, should you need to hire a new attorney to represent you in the bankruptcy court, you can request in your motion that part of the sanctions against your old attorney include payment of the attorney fees for your new attorney.

File a Motion with the Bankruptcy Court.

You should review the terms of your original fee agreement with your attorney. If there is nothing there regarding out-of-the-ordinary services then I would write a demand letter asking him to forward the recovered funds in full. If he still refuses you could contact your local bar association or the office of attorney regulation to request assistance in resolving a fee dispute.

If you understood your attorney to say that you would be entitled to receive all money garnished from you as a result of filing bankruptcy, someone has made a major mistake. You are only entitled to receive a refund of property that is exempt and if 1/3 of the money that was garnished is not exempt, then that money belongs to your bankrutpcy estate. If your attorney is claiming an interest in this money for legal fees earned for services not included in your fee agreement, such as for the additional effort to obtain the return of this money, you have some important decisions to make. The State Bar has a fee dispute committee and you may file a grievance with them to challenge this arrangement. Otherwise, the attorney can deposit this money into the attorney trust account where it can sit until you work things out.

Your bankruptcy attorney should have handled it as part of the original agreement/fee for filing Chapt 7 unless you agreed otherwise. If your attorney is wrongfully keeping the funds, then you may file a grievance with the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission.

Your attorney is only entitled to that amount if you have an agreement that states he is. Some attorneys do charge for recouping funds from garnishments. I personally only charge if I have to sue to get the funds. You can ask your attorney to provide you with a copy of the agreement that you made that states he is entitled to these funds. You can also complain to the state bar if he refuses to do so.

Ask where in the contract it says he gets to keep it. Tell him you will turn him into the bar if he does not turn over the funds.