Delaware Family Court Commissioner Andrew K. Southmayd was recently honored by the Delaware State Bar Association with his Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award.
Southmayd, a Lewes-area resident, has been a judicial officer at Family Court in Georgetown for more than 30 years. He was presented the award by Family Court Judge Janell Ostroski during a recent luncheon held at the Hyatt Place on the Riverfront in Wilmington.
The award is presented “to a Delaware lawyer or judge who, by exemplary service to the Delaware courts and the Delaware bar, has substantially assisted the courts and the bar, and has strengthened public trust and confidence in the courts in the state of Delaware, and the administration of justice.”
Southmayd got his start in Family Court as a judicial assistant/court security officer in 1988, then became a Family Court paralegal from 1989-90. He left after completing law school to go into private practice, but quickly returned as a Family Court master in 1992. He was nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Delaware Senate as a commissioner in 1998. He has been reappointed for four subsequent terms, most recently in 2020.
In presenting the award, Ostroski praised Southmayd as an expert in child support and a resource to the entire Family Court.
“Commissioner Southmayd has been an integral member of the committee which reviews our child support formula since 1994,” said Ostroski. “In addition to his courtroom work, he dedicates countless hours to our child support processes and procedures. In recent years, he was a leader in the Family Court Enhancement Project that resulted in system improvements, and he chaired the access to justice subcommittee.”
Southmayd dedicated his award to all of the talented and hardworking court staff with whom he has served.
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