Opinion ID: 1468976
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Divorce and Ancillary Relief

Text: When a party files a petition for divorce or annulment in the Family Court, in addition to a prayer for divorce or annulment, the relief prayed for may include prayers for other relief that may be available under Title 13 including, without limitation, prayers for interim relief (§ 1509), alimony (§ 1512), property disposition (§ 1513), resumption of prior name (§ 1514), costs and attorneys' fees (§ 1515), support for a child (subchapter I, Chapter 5) and custody and/or child visitation (subchapter II, Chapter 7). [2] The right of a party to petition for ancillary relief, is not an assertion of a separate cause of action, `but is a prayer that the [Family] [C]ourt, in its discretion, exercise one of its incidental powers possessed solely by reason of its jurisdiction over the matrimonial cause.' [3] For purposes of appeal, however, the final order granting a divorce decree and a final order regarding ancillary relief are severable. The language of Section 1518(a) states: A decree granting ... a petition for divorce ... is final when entered, subject to the right of appeal. An appeal that does not challenge the decree of divorce ... but challenges only rulings with respect to relief awarded under other sections of this chapter, or other matters incidental or collateral to such decree, shall not delay the finality of the decree of divorce ... and the parties may remarry while the appeal is pending. [4] When the Family Court retains jurisdiction to consider requests for ancillary relief, following the entry of a divorce decree, each final ruling on a request for a specific type of ancillary relief is directly and separately appealable to this Court. [5] All rulings that are made within the context of a particular ancillary proceeding are not necessarily final, however, and, therefore, appealable as a matter of right, e.g., an award of interim alimony is clearly not a final ruling on an ancillary application for alimony. An appeal from an interlocutory ruling, which is made within the course of deciding a particular request for ancillary relief, is subject to the requirements of Supreme Court Rule 42.