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The Supreme Court of South Carolina

 

RE: Reinstatement of Family Court Benchmark Order

Appellate Case No. 2020-000447 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

By Administrative Order dated January 15, 2021, a provision of the July 24, 2020 Administrative Order1 requiring that certain domestic relations and juvenile cases in the State of South Carolina be disposed of within 365 days of their filing was suspended.  This action was required because in-person proceedings in non-emergency matters in the family court had been suspended due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in South Carolina. 

Pursuant to the provisions of Article V, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution,

I find it is now appropriate to reinstate this provision of the July 24, 2020 Order effective January 4, 2022.  In all cases governed by the July 24, 2020 Order that are now—or will be—older than 365 days upon the effective date of this Order, a party or attorney must deliver a request for a final hearing to the Clerk of Court's office on or before January 4, 2022.  As set forth in the July 24, 2020 Order, the failure to comply with this requirement may result in the dismissal of a case by the Chief Judge for Administrative Purposes. 

Columbia, South Carolina November 8, 2021 Effective January 4, 2022