A. L. W. v. J. H. W.

DUFFY, Justice:

This appeal presents one question for decision by the Court: Does a Family Court Master have authority to enter a decree of divorce which immediately, and finally, disposes of the claims of the parties and terminates Family Court jurisdiction over those claims? We conclude that a Master does not have such power.

I

The relevant facts are as follows:

Plaintiff-husband filed an action for divorce on November 28, 1978, alleging that the marriage contracted between the parties some twenty-five years before that date was irretrievably broken and characterized by voluntary separation. 13…