West Virginia Code
Article 9. Allocation of Custodial Responsibility and Decision-Making Responsibility of Children
§48-9-102. Objectives; Best Interests of the Child

(a) The primary objective of this article is to serve the childs best interests by facilitating:
(1) Stability of the child;
(2) Collaborative parental planning and agreement about the childs 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 childs 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 childs 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.

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