Posted by DivorceLine in West Virginia Child Custody Laws
The Legislature finds and declares that it is the public policy of this state to assure that the best interest of children is the court’s primary concern in allocating custodial and decision-making responsibilities between parents who do not live together. The primary objective of this article is to serve the child’s best interests, by facilitating:
a) Stability of the child
b) Parental planning and agreement about the child’s custodial arrangements and upbringing.
c) Continuity of existing parent-child attachments.
d) Meaningful contact between a child and each parent.
e) Care-taking 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.
f) Security from exposure to physical or emotional harm.
g) To achieve fairness between the parents (this is a secondary objective).
[Based on West Virginia Code; Section 48-9-101 and 48-9-102]
