Evening star., 1936-01-01
DIVORCE OFFICIAL
FOR CITY ASKED
BY BAR PROBERS
domestic Relations Com.
missioner" Would Make
Report to Court.
SPECIAL WORK SEEN
HELP UNDER NEW LAW
Committee Says Courts May Es.
tablish Office, But Must Be
Authorized to Pay Salaries.
The District Bar Association will be

The District Bar Association will be
asked at its January meeting to ad.
vocate the appointment of domestic
relations commissioner" whose duty it
would be to investigate and make
recommendations to the court con-
corning temporary alimony, mainte-
nance and custody in all divorce cases
involving children.
A report favoring establishment Of
such an Office has been drawn I'D bv
the associations special Committee on
Domestic Relations. and circulated
among members. 1t will be brought
up for approval at the next meeting.
For some months discussion Of an
agency to ease the burden of the
court in divorce matters has been
spurred by the enormous increase in
divorce actions filed here since the
Districts liberalized divorce laws went
into effect August 8.
Divorce Cases Increase.
Approximately six times the num-
Der of divorce proceedings have been
initiated since then as during a SINH
lar period before passage Of the new
law. Under the old statute, about 25
suits were filed each month. but in the
less than five months since August
there have been TIA husbands or wives
seeking freedom. Most of these suits
have been brought under the new pro-
visions permitting divorce after five
years separation or two years de-
sertion.
Questions were raised two months
ago at Bar Association meeting con-
corning power Of the court TO appoint
domestic relations commissioner and
whether funds were available TO pro.
vide for the necessary expenditures.
Accordingly, a special committee,
headed by Hyman NJ. GoldStein, was
designated to study the question
In its report, the committee found
the court does have power to estab-
lish the Office. but that no funds are
available under the current appropria-
ton TO pay salaries. The committee
urged President H. Winship Wheatlev
to appoint another committee to
bring the matter before the justices
of the District Supreme Court and
Congress.
Salary Of $1,000 Proposed.
The domestic relations commits.
sioner" should be an attorney and his
salary should be not less than $4,000
a year, the committee stated, adding
that he have two assistants at the
outset, one an investigator receiving
81, 800 a year, and the other a clerk
at $1,000 per year.
Outlining the duties of the COM
missioner, the committee said he
should be some suitable person to
whom shall be referred for investiga-
ton and report all motions and rules i
involving, pendante lite, the custody |
of children, alimony, maintenance.
and the collection of said alimony and
maintenance. in suits for anulment.
divorce, separation and maintenance,
wherein children are involved"
Various plans for setting up some
agency to assist the court in divorce
matters have been discussed from
time to time, with a considerable con-
tingent OF the Districts lawyers vigor-
ously opposing any of the schemes,
which have ranged from that now put
forward to appointment Of divorce
conciliator" to bring together es-
tranged couples.