The arbitrators and referee shall have such compensation for their services as may be agreed upon by the parties in the submission.
§ 9-9-82.Compensation of arbitrators and referee
Chapter 9. Arbitration · Article 2. Medical Malpractice · Last amended 1988 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceProvides that the arbitrators and referee are paid whatever compensation the parties agreed to for their services in the arbitration submission, leaving the fee arrangement to private agreement rather than a fixed statutory rate.
Full Text of § 9-9-82
Plain-English Summary
Unlike witness fees under Code Section 9-9-73, which track a fixed superior court rate, pay for the arbitrators and referee has no set statutory number. This section leaves that entirely to what the parties agree upon in the submission.
That arrangement underscores the private, consensual character of this arbitration track even though its end product — the entered findings under Code Section 9-9-79 — carries the force of a court judgment. The parties, not the state, fund the panel’s work, and they negotiate the terms up front rather than after the fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets the pay for the arbitrators and referee?
The parties, as agreed upon in the submission.
Is there a fixed statutory fee for arbitrators and referees?
No, compensation is whatever the parties agree upon.
Where must the compensation agreement appear?
In the submission the parties sign under Code Section 9-9-65.
Does the referee get paid the same way as the arbitrators?
Yes, this section covers both the arbitrators’ and the referee’s compensation together, each set by the parties’ agreement.
Does this section address who ultimately bears the cost of that compensation?
Not directly — that allocation is addressed by the cost-taxing provision in Code Section 9-9-81.
Amendment History
Code 1933, § 7-423, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 2270, § 2; Code 1981, § 9-9-132; Code 1981, § 9-9-82, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1988, p. 903, § 3.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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