Rates and Rules

PLEASE BE ADVISED:

Judge Colston serves the following counties: Bartow, Floyd, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, Cherokee, Gilmer, Gordon, Whitfield, Murray and Pickens. If you need her to travel outside of this area, please call before booking.

Judge Colston does not do Pro Se mediations. Do not book a mediation on this website if you do not have an attorney.

RATES

$150.00 per hour/ per party/ minimum of 2 hours

PAYMENT TERMS

All fees are payable at the conclusion of the mediation. Payments made by made by cash, check, venmo, cash app or Zelle. Northwest Georgia Mediation does not accept credit cards at this time.

Some courts charge a nominal fee for mediations done in their judicial circuit. If it applies to your case, you will be informed at the start of the mediation.

Cancellation fee: To avoid the $300.00 cancellation fee, please insure you cancel via the website more than 3 business days prior to the mediation.

TRAVEL TIME

Travel times over one hour but less than two hours one way will be a flat fee of $300.00. Travel over two hours one way will not be considered.

IN-PERSON MEDIATIONS VS. VIRTUAL

Judge Colston strongly prefers to meet with the parties in-person. Judge Colston finds that when the parties meet in-person they tend to take the mediation process more seriously and the likelihood of a full settlement increases.

However, virtual mediations will be done when requested via Zoom. Please keep in mind that complex issues and parties make an in-person mediation more likely to succeed!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Most cases are settled at mediation. An experienced mediator can greatly aid in avoiding the cost and time of litigation. However, for mediation to work, all parties must come to the table with an open mind, in good faith and the authority to negotiate. Therefore,

we require the presence at the table of the person with authority to authorize settlement. If this is not possible, please make alternate arrangements with Judge Colston.

Weekend and after hours scheduling can be accommodated upon request.

If you have questions about the general rules of mediation see the guidelines here.

7th Judicial District Mediation Information
Domestic Violence Screening Form

Mediation is required in all civil cases before a final hearing is scheduled.  If your case is domestic in nature, you MUST complete the family violence screening tool.  Find it here.