Serving as a Hearing Officer

1. Nominations and Appointments
2. Final Steps

Nominations and Appointments

If an attorney contacts AHLA to find a hearing officer, staff will propose the neutrals who best match the criteria he or she provides. 

Accepting an Appointment 

When you are selected, AHLA will send a notice of appointment with a link to this page.  Please complete the Hearing Officer Acceptance Form (Hearing Officer Acceptance Form PDF or Hearing Officer Acceptance Form Word Doc) and provide a W-9 unless AHLA has a current one on file.   

Send to DRS Staff

• Terms and Conditions PDF | Terms and Conditions Word Doc

Please upload the Acceptance Form to the case site.  If you need assistance, please contact us.  To protect your privacy, please email the W-9 to [email protected].   

Requesting a Deposit 

Once you have a sense of how many hours you will spend preparing for and presiding at the hearing, please ask the Case Manager to collect a deposit.  Estimate conservatively.  It is far easier to return unused funds than it is to collect additional deposits after the hearing is over.  AHLA generally asks the parties to pay within 10 business days.   

You can check whether AHLA has received deposits by clicking on the Financials button on the case site.  Please note that it usually takes staff 24-48 hours after they receive a deposit to update the site.   

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Final Steps 

Please let us know when the hearing has been held and send your invoice in PDF format to [email protected]

• Include the four-digit claim number 
• Provide a W-9 if AHLA does not have a current one on file 

Please alert your billing department to AHLA’s 18% administrative fee so it is not expecting full payment of the amount billed.   

Clearly mark a final invoices as "Final" so we know it is okay to return unused funds, and please submit final invoices within 15 days after your work is completed so AHLA can refund excess funds in escrow promptly.        

Neutrals are paid through direct deposit to a designated bank account.  Please complete this form if AHLA does not already have your bank information.   

Please alert your billing department to AHLA’s 18% administrative fee so it is not expecting full payment of the amount billed.   

To track invoices, click on the Financials button the case site.  “Approved” means sufficient funds on are deposit to cover an invoice. You should receive payment within thirty days from approval.  “Received” means AHLA has not yet received sufficient funds to pay an invoice.   

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