Thomson Reuters has just released the 2017-2018 edition of Purdom's Georgia Magistrate Court Handbook, authored by John Hadden. This newly updated edition covers practice and procedure in Georgia's magistrate courts, and contains new material on:

• Process servers
• Search Warrants
• Pauper's affidavits
• Appeals and certiorari
• Applicability of the Georgia Civil Practice Act
• Garnishment
• And much more

Georgia's magistrate courts serve a vital role in the Georgia court system. The magistrate courts have civil jurisdiction over civil cases involving disputes of $15,000 or less, including garnishments, as well as certain landlord-tenant matters. The magistrate courts also handle search and arrest warrants, and are responsible in many cases for setting bail. In civil cases, including personal injury cases, magistrate courts allow those with smaller claims, who cannot justify the cost of a lawsuit in a state or superior court, which have higher filing fees and often involve a significant amount of time and expense for discovery (including interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and depositions) as well as expert costs. A party dissatisfied with a civil case in magistrate court can appeal the case to state (where applicable) or superior court where the case can be heard on the merits, including a jury trial if a party so requests.