W. Va. Code § 48-9-102

Current through 2024 First Special Session
Section 48-9-102 - Objectives; best interests of the child
(a) The primary objective of this article is to serve the child's best interests by facilitating:
(1) Stability of the child;
(2) Collaborative parental planning and agreement about the child's custodial arrangements and upbringing;
(3) Continuity of existing parent-child attachments;
(4) Meaningful contact between a child and each parent, and which is rebuttably presumed to be equal (50-50) custodial allocation of the child;
(5) Caretaking and parenting relationships by adults who love the child, know how to provide for the child's needs, and who place a high priority on doing so;
(6) Security from exposure to physical or emotional harm;
(7) Expeditious, predictable decisionmaking and avoidance of prolonged uncertainty respecting arrangements for the child's care and control; and
(8) Meaningful contact between a child and his or her siblings, including half-siblings.
(b) A secondary objective of this article is to achieve fairness between the parents consistent with the rebuttable presumption of equal (50-50) custodial allocation.

W. Va. Code § 48-9-102

Amended by 2022 Acts, ch. 88 (SB 463), eff. 6/10/2022.
Amended by 2021 Acts, ch. 93 (HB 2363), eff. 7/10/2021.