Forsyth County Magistrate Court Seeks Two New Staff Amid Surging Caseload

Chief Magistrate Keisha Chambless told the Forsyth County Commission on March 10 that her court, the busiest in the county, can no longer absorb its workload without more hands. She asked for two new administrative specialists and roughly $110,000 to pay for them, and commissioners gave tentative approval that same day.

"Our numbers have just increased dramatically," Chambless said. "We're looking at around 5,000 additional work hours needed per year since we last added staff."

The surge has two main drivers. Forsyth County's continued population growth means more residents turning to the magistrate court for small claims and other services. But the more unusual pressure comes from garnishments: Forsyth County is now home to the registered agents for some of the largest employers in the country, the legal representatives who receive court documents on behalf of corporations doing business in Georgia.

"We have the registered agents for Walmart, FedEx, Home Depot, and just a vast number of employers that receive those garnishments," Chambless said. The volume of that paperwork followed those companies from their previous home in neighboring Gwinnett County. "In fact when those companies moved from Gwinnett County, their clerks office called and wished us condolences."

The two new hires would serve as clerks inside the magistrate court, handling case management, payments, and related duties. Chambless described the positions as one piece of a broader strategy to keep pace with demand, rather than a one-time fix. The request was also characterized as the latest in a series of staffing and procedural changes the court has pursued to manage its expanding docket.

Commissioners scheduled a final vote on the two positions and the approximately $110,000 budget request for March 19.