Court Opinion

ID: 9764688
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:36:06.812799+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:00.571643
License: Public Domain

FLAHERTY, Justice,
dissenting.
I join in that part of the majority’s opinion which remands the case to the trial court for joinder of the husband’s parents as parties, but dissent to that portion which rejects Superior Court’s holding that a master may be used to conduct the proceeding. As Superior Court held in Wolf v. Wolf,
Rule 1920.51 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure clearly provides:
(a)(1) The court may hear the testimony or, upon its own motion or the motion of either party, may appoint *226a master with respect to all or any of the matters specified in subdivision (a)(2)(i) to hear the testimony and return the record and transcript of the testimony to the court, together with a report and recommendation.
Pa.R.C.P. 1920.51(a)(1) (emphasis added). This provision obviously allows that all actions for divorce or claims which may be joined with the action for divorce or any aspect of the action or claims may be referred to a master.
356 Pa.Super. 365, 371, 514 A.2d 901 (1986). Not only is Superior Court plainly correct, but it is my view that we should be encouraging, not discouraging of the use of masters in the trial courts.
The function of masters, in the words of Rule 1920.51, is “to hear the testimony and return the record and a transcript of the testimony to the court, together with a report and recommendation.” Upon the receipt of these materials from the master, the trial court then, with the opportunity for advocacy being afforded, reviews the record and recommendation and issues its order. This system allows the trial court to review and judicially act on the record, providing a much needed method whereby our courts can greatly maximize efficiency.