Lisa Ritchey Craig
How Judge Craig rules, drawn from 22 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Craig
Lisa Ritchey Craig has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Georgia since March 2016. Before joining the bench, she practiced law in Atlanta. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Mercer University.
Judge Craig's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Craig, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
For regular calendar matters, make announcements in person or email [email protected] before noon ET on the business day before the hearing.
“Announcements must be made (a) in person at the call of the calendar or (b) via email to [email protected] prior to 12:00 p.m. ET the business day prior to the scheduled hearing.”
Filing
File a Chapter 13 application for additional compensation within six months of the work for which counsel seeks payment.
“Judge Ritchey Craig requires that the Applications for Additional Compensation be filed within six months of the task that Counsel is seeking compensation.”
Conferences
For regular calendar hearings, obtain court permission before appearing by telephone or Zoom.
“Parties/attorneys may not appear for calendar calls or hearings via telephone or Zoom without specific permission from the Court”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026).
- General Order 53-2026: Applications for Admission Pro Hac Vice ↗
- Fifth Amended and Restated General Order 24-2018: Voluntary Notice Procedures ↗
- General Order 51-2025: Loan Modification Management Program ↗
- General Order 50-2025: Procedures for Mediation Referrals ↗
- General Order 49-2025: Pleadings by Unrepresented Individual Debtors ↗
How Judge Craig decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A timely remand request succeeds when the attempted removal was made by an entity that was not a party to the state action.
“a non-party does not have authority to remove a case from state court to federal court”
Procedural preferences
In Dobronski's bankruptcy adversary proceeding, Ritchey Craig gave the self-represented plaintiff 21 days to amend a complaint that relied heavily on a void default judgment.
“Plaintiff shall have twenty-one (21) days to amend the Complaint in accordance with this order.”
Cautions
Disputed evidence concerning intent and financial records can prevent summary judgment on discharge and dischargeability claims.
“summary judgment is not appropriate on any count of the Complaint”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion for Reconsideration (Doc. 98) is DENIED;”
“ORDERED that the Motions are GRANTED.”
“For the reasons stated above, the Motion to Strike is DENIED.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion is DENIED.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT DHS’s Motion for Entry of Default Judgment is GRANTED”
“it is ORDERED that Plaintiff’s default judgment motion is GRANTED;”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Objection is DENIED.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Motion to Strike Linda Hardin’s Errata Sheet (Doc. 139) is DENIED;”
“granting in part and denying in part the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by West Village Holdings, LLC”
“granted in part and denied in part the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by ONH Holdings, LLC”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike Hardin’s Unauthorized Surreply (Doc. 19) is DENIED;”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Motion (Doc. 54) is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff’s request to strike the Answer is DENIED”
“Plaintiff’s request for dismissal of the Smith Counterclaim is STAYED”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion to Stay (Doc. 10) is GRANTED”
Draft for Judge Craig with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Craig, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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