Background
Thomas Everly appealed from a Family Court matter involving Ella Everly. The Delaware Supreme Court had previously assigned pseudonyms to the parties under Supreme Court Rule 7(d).
On September 10, 2026, the Senior Court Clerk sent Everly a certified-mail notice directing him to show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed for failure to pay the filing fee. The notice was resent by certified and first-class mail on September 29, and a response was due October 12.
The Court’s Holding
The Delaware Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. Everly neither paid the filing fee nor responded to the show-cause notice by the deadline.
The Court deemed dismissal unopposed and dismissed the appeal under Delaware Supreme Court Rules 3(b)(2) and 29(b).
Key Takeaways
- An appellant’s failure to pay the filing fee can result in dismissal of the appeal.
- Failure to respond to a court-issued show-cause notice may cause dismissal to be treated as unopposed.
- The order did not address the merits of the underlying Family Court dispute.
Why It Matters
The order underscores that appellate procedural obligations, including fee payment and timely responses to clerk notices, are independently enforceable. A party can lose the opportunity for merits review without a substantive ruling when those requirements are not met.