Dispute Resolution Responds to COVID-19

In March of this year, the judicial landscape in Georgia changed in a way completely unimaginable just weeks before. On March 14, 2020 Chief Justice Harold Melton (Supreme Court of Georgia) issued his order declaring a statewide judicial emergency bringing most matters to an unprecedented pause. Criminal, civil and domestic cases all were affected. News travelled fast as COVID-19 precautions forced courthouses located throughout the 159 Georgia counties to shut their doors to all “non-essential” business for the foreseeable future. Judges, clerks, court administrators, attorneys and their clients, self-represented litigants, court reporters and law-related service providers all were left with the daunting task of prioritizing work based on this standard of being essential and engineering new ways for resolving matters, all the while maintaining obedience to the letter and spirit of the Chief Justice’s Order and ensuring compliance with COVID-19 recommendations for staying healthy and safe from the adverse effects of the pandemic.

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The Atlanta Lawyer