Lawyers in Georgia

The judicial system of Georgia has a Supreme Court, three federal district courts, a state court of appeals, and several trial courts. Trial courts enjoy both limited and general jurisdiction. These courts have different purposes in the judicial system. Three federal district courts are there in Georgia. Federal district courts hear appeals from state courts. There are also three federal bankruptcy courts in the state.

Like other states, Georgia’s judicial system is also pyramid-structured. The Supreme Court is at the top of that structure. This court is the last resort in the court system. It has nine judgeships. The Georgia Supreme Court has administrative authority over the lower courts. From 1983 the Supreme Court enjoys exclusive appellate jurisdiction over constitutional cases. The court also enjoys jurisdiction over Court of Appeals cases. The Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over the entire state. It is the intermediate appellate court. But the cases involving murder, constitutional questions, and habeas corpus do not come to this court. Those cases belong to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

The Superior Courts enjoy general jurisdiction over trial cases. They hear appeals from the lower courts. The Probate Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the overseeing of estates, the probate of wills, the involuntary hospitalization of incapacitated adults, and the appointment of guardians. The State Courts of Georgia are county courts of limited jurisdiction. They enjoy jurisdiction over all misdemeanor cases. There are several Magistrate Courts in the state. They do not hold jury trials and have limited jurisdiction. The Municipal Courts exercise jurisdiction over ordinance violations. There are few Juvenile Courts and Business Court in the state.

The state has several LRS (Lawyer Referral Services) managed by local bar associations. These LRS are completely non-profit services. They help the public find a lawyer for their cases. Before enlisting their names in the LRS, the associations pre-screen the lawyers to ensure their good standing before the Bar, and experience in a different area of the laws. The services also confirm that the lawyer has malpractice insurance.

There are several referral services. Among them, the service run by the Atlanta Bar Association is one of the oldest. The service is more than 50 years old. The Cobb County Lawyer Referral Service, the LRS managed by the Dekalb County Bar Association in Decatur, and The Attorneys’ Confidential RS are very well-known for their genuine referral services. There are other services too. If one needs to find a lawyer in Georgia, then the person should consider the benefits of using an LRS managed by a non-profit legal organization or a local bar association.

The State Bar of Georgia has not evaluated attorneys who enlist their names in the referral service. An attorney in the state who receives referrals from these referral services must act reasonably. The lawyer needs to confirm that the activities of the referral service are compatible with the attorney’s professional obligations, as mentioned in the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

The judicial system of Georgia has a Supreme Court, three federal district courts, a state court of appeals, and several trial courts. Trial courts enjoy both limited and general jurisdiction. These courts have different purposes in the judicial system. Three federal district courts are there in Georgia. Federal district courts hear appeals from state courts. There are also three federal bankruptcy courts in the state.

Like other states, Georgia’s judicial system is also pyramid-structured. The Supreme Court is at the top of that structure. This court is the last resort in the court system. It has nine judgeships. The Georgia Supreme Court has administrative authority over the lower courts. From 1983 the Supreme Court enjoys exclusive appellate jurisdiction over constitutional cases. The court also enjoys jurisdiction over Court of Appeals cases. The Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over the entire state. It is the intermediate appellate court. But the cases involving murder, constitutional questions, and habeas corpus do not come to this court. Those cases belong to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

The Superior Courts enjoy general jurisdiction over trial cases. They hear appeals from the lower courts. The Probate Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the overseeing of estates, the probate of wills, the involuntary hospitalization of incapacitated adults, and the appointment of guardians. The State Courts of Georgia are county courts of limited jurisdiction. They enjoy jurisdiction over all misdemeanor cases. There are several Magistrate Courts in the state. They do not hold jury trials and have limited jurisdiction. The Municipal Courts exercise jurisdiction over ordinance violations. There are few Juvenile Courts and Business Court in the state.

The state has several LRS (Lawyer Referral Services) managed by local bar associations. These LRS are completely non-profit services. They help the public find a lawyer for their cases. Before enlisting their names in the LRS, the associations pre-screen the lawyers to ensure their good standing before the Bar, and experience in a different area of the laws. The services also confirm that the lawyer has malpractice insurance.

There are several referral services. Among them, the service run by the Atlanta Bar Association is one of the oldest. The service is more than 50 years old. The Cobb County Lawyer Referral Service, the LRS managed by the Dekalb County Bar Association in Decatur, and The Attorneys’ Confidential RS are very well-known for their genuine referral services. There are other services too. If one needs to find a lawyer in Georgia, then the person should consider the benefits of using an LRS managed by a non-profit legal organization or a local bar association.

The State Bar of Georgia has not evaluated attorneys who enlist their names in the referral service. An attorney in the state who receives referrals from these referral services must act reasonably. The lawyer needs to confirm that the activities of the referral service are compatible with the attorney’s professional obligations, as mentioned in the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.