(a) The judge may appoint one or more persons to serve as associate juvenile court judge in juvenile matters on a full-time or part-time basis. The associate juvenile court judge shall serve at the pleasure of the judge, and his or her salary shall be fixed by the judge with the approval of the governing authority or governing authorities of the county or counties for which the associate juvenile court judge is appointed. The salary of each associate juvenile court judge shall be paid from county funds. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, an associate juvenile court judge shall be a member of the State Bar of Georgia or shall be a graduate of a law school; provided, however, that any person serving as a referee on July 1, 1983, shall be qualified for appointment thereafter to serve as an associate juvenile court judge.

(b) In each county having a population of 75,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of 1990 or any such future census and which employs a full-time juvenile court judge, each associate juvenile court judge appointed after July 1, 1994, shall have the same qualifications as required for a judge of the juvenile court as provided in subsection (e) of Code Section 15-11-18; provided, however, that any person serving as a referee on July 1, 1983, shall be qualified for appointment thereafter to serve as an associate juvenile court judge.

(c) The judge may direct that hearings in any case or class of cases involving alleged delinquent, unruly, or deprived children shall be conducted in the first instance by the associate juvenile court judge in the manner provided by this article. If a party so requests, the hearing shall be conducted by the judge except for detention hearings or probable cause hearings, which shall be conducted by the associate juvenile court judge if directed to do so by the judge.

(d) Upon the conclusion of a hearing before an associate juvenile court judge, the associate juvenile court judge shall sign and file an order of the court which sets forth the decision made by the associate juvenile court judge. A copy of the order shall be given to the parties to the proceedings.

(e) A rehearing may be ordered by the judge at any time and, except for detention hearings or probable cause hearings, shall be ordered if a party files a written request therefor within five days after receiving a copy of the order of the associate juvenile court judge.