The South Carolina Court of Appeals has dismissed the appeal in McConnell v. McConnell today, preserving the respondent’s favorable position in a post-divorce contempt dispute. The court held that the challenged discovery orders were interlocutory and therefore not immediately appealable.

A special congratulations goes to Settlyd Member Ashby Lawton Jones, who represented respondent Patricia McConnell alongside Rebecca West. This procedural victory prevents premature appellate review while the underlying family court matter remains pending.

The opinion’s most significant takeaway may be its recognition of a broader problem in South Carolina family law. The court observed that increasingly complex post-judgment disputes may require limited discovery—and expressed concern that access to that discovery appears to vary by county and judicial circuit. It then expressly urged the family court bench and bar to address this inconsistency.

Judge Hewitt’s concurrence reinforced that message, noting reports that similar cases are being treated differently across the state and suggesting that courts’ equitable powers may permit necessary discovery even when the applicable rules are silent. Although the court did not resolve that question here, its opinion provides a clear invitation to pursue greater clarity and consistency statewide.

Congratulations again to Ashby Jones on this Court of Appeals win and on helping bring attention to an issue with important implications for South Carolina family-law practice.

Guy Vitetta, Charleston