Opinion ID: 1222695
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legislative History of the Family Law Master System

Text: First, an examination of the history of the FLM system is necessary as a backdrop to this discussion. With the passage of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984, P.L. 98-378, Congress imposed a requirement on states to establish expedited judicial or administrative processes for obtaining and enforcing support orders. In 1986, [1] the West Virginia Legislature debated the numerous issues concerning the current domestic relations law and how the state should respond to the new federal mandate for an expedited process. The Legislature enacted a quasi-judicial [2] system that granted family law masters broad authority in the area of domestic law  jurisdiction which far exceeded issues solely related to child support. The subject matter jurisdiction granted to the family law masters in West Virginia resulting from the federal mandate was significantly broader in scope than that granted to quasi-judicial officers in many other states who are limited to matters defined by the federal mandates. Over the ensuing years, it became obvious that the FLM system was underfunded, unmanaged, and ineffective, both in the quantity and quality of its performance. Beginning in 1989, this Court each year began imploring the Legislature to bring reform to this system. In 1993, we went so far as to formally request that the Legislature either reform the system or else remove it from affiliation with the judicial branch. [3] The legislature failed to enact all the recommended reforms, but did move the FLM system to the judicial budget, modify it to a split full-time/part-time system, and give the Court some measure of authority in drawing the geographic regions. Although the Administrative Office of this Court has sought to bring management and coordination to the FLM system, it cannot in its present form be regarded as a family court system [4] entitled to the level of deference the majority suggests. Many family law masters still remain part-time only, most continuing to conduct private law practices as well as perform their judicial duties.