Virginia Family Law Code Sections

Last Updated on July 2, 2021

Adoption

63.2-1200, et seq.

• adoptive parents, qualifications/bars: §63.2-901.1 ; §63.2-1201.1 ; §63.2-1205 ; §63.-2-1205.1 ; §63.2-1225 ; §63.2-1719
• adult adoption: §63.2-1243 – §63.2-1244
• agency adoption: §63.2-1221 – §63.2-1228.2
• assisted reproductive technology: §20-156 – §20-165
• attack on final order: §63.2-1216
• close relative adoption: §63.2-1242.1 – §63.2-1242.3
• consent: §63.2-1202 – §63.2-1205 ; §63.2-1243(b) ; §20-146.11
• final Order: §63.2-1213
• foster parent adoption: §63.2-1229
• home study: §63.2-1231
• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children: §63.2-1000 – §63.2-1105
• jurisdiction; venue; filing: §63.2-1201 ; §16.1-244
• legal effect of adoption: §63.2-1210
• parental placement adoption: §63.2-1230 – §63.2-1240
• post-adoption contract and communication agreements: §63.2-1220.2 – §63.2-1220.4 ; §16.1-283.1
• probationary period, interlocutory order, order of reference – when not required: §63.2-1210
• Putative Father Registry: §63.2-1249, et seq.
• records: §63.2-1245 – §63.2 – 1247
• special needs adoption: §63.2-1200, et seq.
• stepparent adoption: §63.2-1241 – §63.2-1242

Agreements

• affirmation on record: §20-155
• amendment or revocation must be in writing: § §20-153 and §20-155
• decree must accord with agreement: §20-109(c)
• incorporation of agreement in decree: §20-109.1
• marital agreements: §20-155
• premarital Agreements Act: §20-147 – §20-155
• reconciliation abrogates agreement unless otherwise provided in agreement: §20-155

Appeal

• remand to juvenile court: §16.1-297
• suspension of judgment: §8.01-676.1(D)
• to circuit court: §16.1-296
• to circuit court, custody/visitation proceedings: §16.1-296.2
• to Court of Appeals: §8.01-675.3 ; S.Ct. Rule §5A:1, et seq.
• withdrawal of appeal in civil cases: §16.1-106.1

Assisted Conception: §20-156

Attorney’s Fees

• Child Custody §20-146.33(a)
• Divorce: §20-79(b) ; §20-99(6)
• Juvenile Court: §16.1-278.19
• Lien for attorney’s fees: §54.1-3932
• Pendente Lite : §20-103
• Request in Writing: §Rule 3:25
• Support arrearages: §20-78.2
• Temporary Order of Support: §20-71.1

Child Custody and Visitation

• apart from divorce: §16.1-241(A)(3)
• appointment of guardian ad litem : §8.01-9; §16.1-266
• best interests of the child: §20-124.3
• children’s health and school records: §20-124.6
• concurrent jurisdiction: §16.1-244 ; §16.1-241(A)(3)
• contents of custody/visitation order: §20-124.5 ; §16.1-278.15
• custody or psychological evaluation: §20-124.2.D ; §16.1-278.15
• Emancipation: §16.1-334
• felony to withhold child: §18.2-49.1(A)
• in divorce: §20-107.2
• interference with visitation: § §20-108
• interstate Compact on the Placement of Children: §63.2-1000, et seq.
• joint custody: § 20-124.1
• jurisdiction (J&D Court): §16.1-241 (A)(3)
• legal custody: §16.1-228 ; §20-107.2
• limitation of future filing: §20-124.2(E)
• modification: §20-108
• parent education: §20-103 ; §16.1-278.15
• participation in school activities by non-custodial parent: §22.1-4.3
• revision and alteration of decree: §20-108
• termination of Parental Rights: §16.1-283
• uniform Child Custody Jurisd: §20-146.1 – §20-146.38

Child Support

• administrative support orders: §63.2-1900, et seq.
• adult child with a disability: §20-124.2
• agreement for modification: §20-109.1
• authority in divorce: §20-107.2
• cash medical support §20-60.3, §20-108.1(C), §20-108.2, §20-124.2, §63.2-1954.1, §63.2-1900
• child care costs §20-108.2(F)
• contempt proceeding Act: §20-88.32 – §20-88.82
• content of support orders: §20-60.3; §20-79.2; §16.1-278.15
• criminal non-support: §20-61 ; §16.1-241(E)
• definition of a day of custody: §20-108.2(G)(3)(c)
• dependency exemption: §20-108.1(E)
• duration, etc.: §20-124.2
• factors, deviation, and start date: §20-108.1
• gross income: §20-108.2(C)
• guidelines: §20-108.2
• health care coverage: §20-108.1(C)
• interest on arrearage: §20-78.2
• J & D Court: §16.1-241(A)(3)
• life insurance: §20.108.1(D)
• material change in circumstances: §63.2-1921.C
• modification: §20-108
• payroll deduction: §20-79.1, et seq.
• revision of decree: §20-108
• rules applicable in Cir. Ct. & J&D: §20-60.1
• uniform Interstate Family Support Act: §20-88.32 – §20-88.82
• transfer: §20-79(C)
• vocational evaluation: §20-108.1(H)

Contempt

• criminal contempt for violation of custody/visitation order: §18.2-49.1
• failure to comply with support obligation: §16.1-278.16 ; §20-115
• J&D Court: §16.1-69.24
• service of process in contempt proceeding: §8.01-314
• violation of custody/visitation order: §20-124.2(E)
• violation of equitable distribution order: §20-115
• violation of pendente lite order of support: §20-71 ; §20-115
• violation of protective order: §16.1-279.1(C)

Dismissal and Reinstatement

• after certain period: §8.01-335
• reinstatement of suit: §20-121.1

Divorce

• bed and board: §20-95
• corroboration requirement: §20-99
• domicile and residential requirements: §20-97
• effect of cohabitation after knowledge of fault: §20-94
• grounds: §20-91
• how suits instituted and conducted: §20-99
• jurisdiction, circuit court: §20-96
• use of affidavits in no-fault divorce: §20-106
• motion for no fault: §20-121.02
• presumptions as to desertion and abandonment: §20-81
• privacy statute: §20-121.03
• record sealed: §20-124

Effect of Divorce

• extinguishes contingent property rights: §20-111.1
• revocation of terms of will: §64.2-412
• power of attorney terminates: §64.2-1608

Emancipation: §16.1-331

Equitable Distribution: §20-107.3

• after foreign decree: §20-107.3(j)
• factors: §20-107.3(e)
• marital property, definitions: §20-107.3(A)(2)
• post marital/post separation property definitions: §20-107.3(M)(3)
• retirement accounts: §20-107.3(G)
• separate property definition: §20-107.3(A)(1)
• valuation date: §20-107.3(A)

Estates and Inheritance

• augmented estate: §64.2-305
• elective share: §64.2-304
• rights barred by abandonment: §64.2-308
• rights in family residence: §64.2-307
• when omitted spouse to take intestate share: §64.2-422

Evidence: §8.01-385, et seq.

• admission (in civil proceedings) of evidence of sexual acts with children: §63.2-1522
• Blue Book value as evidence: §8.01-419.1
• from clergy §8.01-400
• from doctor or mental health profession: §8.01-399 ; §8.01-499.2 ; §20-124.3:1 ; §8.01-413 ; §63.2-1519
• GPS (civil): §46.2-1088.6
• GPS (criminal): §18.2-60.5
• husband and wife: §20-82; §8.01-398 ; §19.2-271.2; §63.2-1519
• judicial records as evidence: §8.01-389
• market quotations as evidence: : §8.2-724
• non-judicial records as evidence: §8.01-390
• opinion testimony by experts; hearsay exception: §8.01-401.1
• “recent complaint” hearsay exception: §19.2-268.2
• school records as evidence: §8.01-390.1
• self-incrimination: §20-82
• spoliation of evidence: §8.01 -379.2:1
• testimony by child: §20-124.2:1 ; §8.01-396.1
• testimony by video/telephone: §17.1-513.2 ; §19.2-3.1
• use of affidavits in no-fault divorce: §20-106
• use of recorded telephone conversations as evidence: §8.01-420.2
• use of transcripts as evidence: §8.01-420.3
• use of videotaped statements of complaining witnesses as evidence: §63.2-1523

Guardian ad litem

• appointment: §16.1-266(D) ; §8.01-9
• persons under disability §8.01-2.6 ; §8.01-9
• §Rule 8:6 of Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia

Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court: §16.1-226

• appeal: §16.1-296
• concurrent juris, w/cir. ct.: §16.1-244
• content of petition: §16.1-262
• discovery: §Rule 8:15
• jurisdiction: §16.1-244
• remand after appeal: §16.1-297
• transfer from Circuit Court: §20-79(c)

Lien: §54.1-3932

Life Insurance

• in child support: §20-108.1(D)
• in equitable distribution: §20-107.3(G)(2)
• in spousal support: §20-107.1:1
• pendente lite relief: §20-103

Marriage

• minimum age of marriage: §20-48
• prohibitions: §20-38.1 – §20-43 ; §20-45.2 ; §20-45.3
• void marriages: §20-43; §20-45.1
• when consent required/how given: §20-49

Miscellaneous

• computation of time: §1-210
• doctrine of necessaries: §55-37
• table of life expectancy: §8.01-419

Name Change: §20-121.4 ; §8.01-217(c)

Nonsuit: §8.01-380

Orders

• content of custody/visitation orders: §20-124.5 ; §16.1-278.15
• content of support orders (child and spousal): §20-60.3 ; §20-79.2 ; §16.1-278.15
• content of support orders (spousal only): §20-60.3 ; §20-107.1 ; §16.1-278.15
• notice of presentation: §20-99.1:1 ; §8.01-428 ; §Rule 1:13
• revocation of death benefits by divorce or annulment: §20-111.1
• revision and alteration – custody and support: §20-108
• transfer of jurisdiction to J & D Court: §20-79
• judgment interest: §6.2-302 ; §8.01-382

Parental Rights

• termination §16.1-283

Paternity: §20-49.1

• relief from determination: §20-49.10
• service: §20-61.3

Preliminary Relief

• family abuse: §16.1-228
• order of protection: §16.1-279.1
• pendente lite relief: §20-103
• preliminary protective order: §16.1-253.1

Privacy Addendum: §20-121.03

Protective Order

• circuit court: §20-103
• definition of family abuse: §16.1-228
• jurisdiction: §16.1-241(m)
• preliminary protective order: §16.1-253.1
• protective order: §16.1-279.1 ; §20-103(B)

Psychological Evaluation: §20-124.2(D) ; §Rule 4:10

Sealing / Sequestration of Record: §20-124

Service of Process / Notice: §8.01-285 – 8.01-327.2

• acceptance/waiver of service/notice: §20-99.1:1
• convict defendant: §8.01-297
• long-arm jurisdiction: §8.01-328.1
• personal service if paternity an issue: §20-61.3
• personal service outside of Virginia §8.01-320
• pro se party: §8.01-319(A)

Spousal Support

• cohabitation: §20-109.A
• consider all evidence: §20-108.1
• content of orders: §20-60.3 ; §20-107.1 ; §16.1-278.15
• contract: §20-109.C ; §20-109.1
• formula for pendente lite support: §16.1-278.17:1
• interest on arrearage: §20-78.2
• J & D Court: §16.1-241(L)
• life insurance: §20-107-1:1
• modification: §20-109
• reservation: §20-107.1.D
• rules and factors: §20-107.1
• spousal liability for emergency medical care: §8.01-220.2
• statutory notices: §20-107.1(H)
• to cease on remarriage: §20-110 ; §20-109D
• to cease upon death or remarriage: §20-109.1
• transfer: §20-79(C)
• Uniform Interstate Family Support Act: §20-88.32 – §20-88.82
• vocational evaluation: §20-108.1(H)

Statute of Limitations

• 20 years to enforce judgment: §8.01-251

Subpoenas

• copies of subpoenaed documents to be provided: §8.01-417 B
• notice/subpoena duces tecum for medical records: §32.1-127.1:03

Surrogacy: §20-156

Tax

• child care costs-credits/deductions: §20-108.2(F)
• dependency exemption: §20-108.1.E

Trial

• motion to strike: §8.01-282

Venue

• desertion and non-support: §20-67
• divorce: §8.01-261(19)
• family abuse: §16.1-243(A)(3)
• juvenile court: §16.1-243
• support – J & D: §16.1-243(A)(2)
• transfer: §16.1-243(B)(3)

Vital Records

• vital records: §32.1-271 ; §32.1-272