§51-2A-15. Review by Supreme Court of Appeals; assistance for pro se appellants.
(a) If both of the parties file, either jointly or separately, within fourteen days following the entry of the final order of a family court judge, a notice of intent to file an appeal from the final order of the family court directly to the Supreme Court of Appeals and to waive their right to file a petition for appeal with the circuit court, the petition for appeal of the final order of the family court may be filed with the Supreme Court of Appeals in accordance with the provisions of article five, chapter fifty-eight of this code and the rules of appellate procedure, except that the standard of review for any such appeal is the same as set forth in subsection (b), section fourteen of this article.
(b) If a circuit court judge refuses to consider a petition for appeal or if a party is adversely affected by the order entered by the circuit court upon review of the final order of the family court, the party may seek review of the order of the circuit court by the Supreme Court of Appeals. If a petition for appeal to the circuit court is transferred to the Supreme Court of Appeals pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d), section fourteen of this article, the petition for appeal filed in the circuit court will be considered as a petition for appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to hear and entertain an appeal from an order of a circuit court or the transfer of an appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals as provided in this article in the same manner provided for civil appeals in article five, chapter fifty-eight of this code and in the rules of appellate procedure, except that the standard of review for any such appeal is the same as set forth in subsection (b), section fourteen of this article.
(c) The Supreme Court of Appeals shall promulgate rules to assist pro se litigants in the filing and processing of family court appeals to the circuit court and to the supreme court. Such rules may address, but are not limited to, expedited means of transcribing family court records, use of asynchronous data communication network or other alternate forms of transmission for conducting appellate hearings, alternate requirements for the number of copies to be provided to the Supreme Court of Appeals and other appropriate measures which will provide meaningful appellate access to the courts pursuant to section seventeen, article III of the West Virginia Constitution.
