What to Expect After Registration
Registration Renewal Deadline
Registration expires after April 30 of every year. You are responsible for renewing your registration annually during the renewal period, which is open from October 1 through December 31. Late renewal begins January 1 and ends April 30; renewing during this period means being in Lapsed Status and paying double the regular registration fee. Failure to renew by the April 30 deadline means your registration falls into Inactive Status, preventing you from acting as a neutral in court-connected cases. After 730 days from missing your renewal deadline, your registration becomes Archived and any reinstatement includes starting over by retaking all training courses.
All registered neutrals must complete the annual continuing education requirement of 3 hours. Those in Inactive Status must complete 8 hours. CE hours do not carry over from previous years. ALL neutrals are responsible for self-reporting through the Georgia Courts Registrar; GODR does not automatically receive CLE information from the State Bar of Georgia; For more information on continuing education.
Volunteer Status
Neutrals who volunteer their services may submit a sworn affidavit each registration season requesting that their registration fees be waived. This affidavit must be sworn and signed by the director of a court program for which the neutral volunteers. For this purpose, a “volunteer” is defined as a neutral who receives no compensation- no matter how little- for providing their services, whether within or outside of a court ADR program. Volunteer waivers are not granted to new applicants.
Each court ADR program maintains their own set of requirements for neutrals on their roster. You must contact these programs directly to inquire about requirements and roster availability; For information on individual court programs.
Though it is possible that individuals will find you in the directory and solicit your services, it is not promised or very likely. All registered neutrals are encouraged to market their own practice. Get out there, build relationships, be creative, and find your niche!
We encourage all registered neutrals to read and understand the full scope of our rules
We are here to help; call us at 404-463-3808 or email us at gcr@georgiacourts.gov (registration matters) and gaodr@georgiacourts.gov (all other questions).