| name | ga-submit-order |
| description | This skill should be used after a Georgia hearing, when the judge has ruled and a party needs to submit a proposed order for signature, or when the court directs a party to draft the order. Triggers include "submit a proposed order Georgia", "judge signed my order", "transmit order to chambers", "Georgia post-hearing order", "draft the order after hearing Georgia". In Georgia an order is entered when it is signed by the judge and filed with the clerk (entry equals filing under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-58). Covers preparing the proposed order to conform to the court's oral ruling, transmitting it to chambers (e-filing, lead sheet, or Word copy to the staff attorney per local practice), circulating to opposing counsel "as to form" where required, the certificate of service, and confirming the signed and entered order.
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| version | 0.1.0 |
Post-Hearing Order Submission (Georgia)
NOT LEGAL ADVICE. This skill is a procedural and
drafting aid, not legal advice. Verify current rules,
deadlines, and venue-specific practices before filing.
Pair with substantive review by counsel where stakes
warrant.
Use this skill after a Georgia court hearing when:
- The judge ruled from the bench and directed a party to draft
the order; or
- The court issued a ruling and directed the prevailing party to
submit a proposed order; or
- The parties agreed to a result and need to memorialize it.
Entry of an order in Georgia — O.C.G.A. § 9-11-58
In Georgia, an order or judgment is entered when it is signed by
the judge and filed with the clerk — under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-58,
"entry" means filing. The signed-and-filed date is what starts
post-judgment clocks (motions, appeals). The proposed order you
submit is not operative until the judge signs it and it is filed by
the clerk.
Cardinal rule — conform the order to the ruling
The proposed order must reflect exactly what the judge ruled. If
the oral ruling is ambiguous:
- Listen to the record (court recording or reporter; obtain
through the clerk).
- Confer with opposing counsel on the proper wording.
- Do not embellish — if the court did not address a sub-issue, do
not slip a finding into the order.
Standard post-hearing workflow
- Promptly (per the court's directive, or within a few days)
prepare the proposed order in
.docx. Use ga-draft-order for the
structure.
- Circulate to opposing counsel "as to form" where the assigned
judge's standing order or local practice requires it — opposing
counsel approves that the language reflects the ruling (not the
substance) before submission.
- Transmit the proposed order to chambers by the method local
practice requires: e-file the proposed order, attach a lead sheet,
and/or email a Word copy to the assigned judge's staff attorney
so chambers can edit and route it for signature.
- The judge signs the order.
- The clerk files (enters) the order under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-58 —
this is the operative event.
- Serve all parties with a certificate of service under O.C.G.A.
§ 9-11-5; registered e-filers are served through the system, any
party not on the system by mail or hand delivery.
Transmittal cover email — Word copy to staff attorney
To: [Staff Attorney / Chambers — assigned judge]
CC: [Opposing counsel]
Subject: Proposed Order — [Case Short Title], Case No. [Number]
Dear [Staff Attorney / Chambers]:
Pursuant to the Court's ruling at the [hearing date] hearing on
[Motion Title], I am submitting the attached proposed Order
reflecting the Court's ruling.
I circulated the proposed Order to [opposing counsel name] on
[date]. [Opposing counsel] [has approved it as to form / objects
on the following grounds: ...].
A Word-format copy is attached; the proposed Order [has been / will
be] e-filed under the case today.
Please let me know if any revisions are required before signature.
Respectfully,
[Name]
[Georgia Bar No. or "Pro Se"]
[Phone]
[Email]
"As to form" approval
Where the judge requires it, opposing counsel signs or initials at
the foot of the proposed order:
SO ORDERED, this ____ day of
__________, 20__.
___________________________
Judge, [Superior / State] Court
[Circuit] Judicial Circuit
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
___________________________
[Opposing Counsel Name]
Georgia Bar No. ######
Attorney for [Party]
"As to form" means opposing counsel agrees the language reflects
the ruling, not that opposing counsel agrees with the substance of
the ruling. If opposing counsel objects on substance but agrees on
form, say so explicitly in the transmittal email.
After the order is entered
Once the judge signs and the clerk files (enters) the order:
- Download the entered order from the e-filing docket.
- Verify it matches the proposed order — judges sometimes
interlineate changes before signing.
- Calendar any deadlines the order imposes (e.g., "Defendant
shall serve supplemental responses within 14 days") and note that
appeal/post-judgment clocks run from entry under O.C.G.A.
§ 9-11-58.
- Serve all parties with a certificate of service; mail any
party not on the e-filing system.
- Track compliance — if the other side does not comply, prepare
the next step (motion to compel, motion for contempt, motion to
enforce judgment).
Special case — orders following a bench trial or evidentiary hearing
Orders after a bench trial or evidentiary hearing typically include
findings of fact and conclusions of law under O.C.G.A.
§ 9-11-52. Draft them carefully:
- Findings of fact — numbered, neutrally stated, each supported
by record evidence.
- Conclusions of law — separately numbered, citing the
controlling rule or statute.
- Order / decree — the actual disposition.
The court is not bound by either party's proposed findings, but
well-drafted findings make it easier for the judge to adopt them.
Special case — family-law final orders
A final divorce or other domestic order is a Superior Court judgment.
Confirm the order resolves every required issue (equitable division,
support, custody/parenting time, and child support with the worksheet
attached) and that all pre-judgment standing-order filings are on
file before the court enters the decree.
Composition
- For drafting the proposed order:
ga-draft-order
- For drafting any accompanying notice:
ga-draft-note
- For getting the order before the court / chambers channels:
ga-fulton, ga-cobb, ga-gwinnett
- For hearing prep and the oral ruling itself:
ga-hearings
- For getting the matter heard in the first place:
ga-schedule-hearing
- For deadlines that run from entry:
ga-deadlines
- For format:
ga-statewide-format
- For e-filing the entered order:
ga-file-packet
References
references/post-hearing-protocol.md — entry under O.C.G.A.
§ 9-11-58 and chambers transmittalreferences/proposed-order-transmittal.md — Word copy / lead sheet
to staff attorney; "as to form" circulationreferences/findings-of-fact-conclusions-of-law.md
