{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-146.16.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-146.16.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-146.16.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-146.16.html"}],"law_id":63781,"edition_id":1,"section_id":63781,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.16","catch_line":"Notice; opportunity to be heard; joinder","history":"1979, c. 229, \u00a7\u00a7 20-127, 20-133; 2001, c. 305.","full_text":"A\n\nBefore a child’s custody determination is made under this act, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of § 20-146.7 must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the laws of this Commonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth, any parent whose parental rights have not been previously terminated, and any person having physical custody of the child.B\n\nThe laws of the Commonwealth shall govern the enforceability of a child custody determination made without actual notice or an opportunity to be heard.C\n\nThe obligation to join a party and the right to intervene as a party in a child custody proceeding under this act are governed by the laws of this Commonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":232372,"text":"Before a child’s custody determination is made under this act, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of § 20-146.7 must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the laws of this Commonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth, any parent whose parental rights have not been previously terminated, and any person having physical custody of the child.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":232373,"text":"The laws of the Commonwealth shall govern the enforceability of a child custody determination made without actual notice or an opportunity to be heard.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":232374,"text":"The obligation to join a party and the right to intervene as a party in a child custody proceeding under this act are governed by the laws of this Commonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14515,"edition_id":1,"name":"Jurisdiction","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13273,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:28","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:28","permalink":{"id":179271,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14515,"identifier":"2","token":"20\/7.1\/2","url":"\/20\/7.1\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13273,"edition_id":1,"name":"Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act","identifier":"7.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:33","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:33","permalink":{"id":179223,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13273,"identifier":"7.1","token":"20\/7.1","url":"\/20\/7.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56827,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.12","catch_line":"Initial child custody jurisdiction","url":"\/20-146.12\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.12","metadata":false},{"id":71952,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.13","catch_line":"Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction","url":"\/20-146.13\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.13","metadata":false},{"id":64810,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.14","catch_line":"Jurisdiction to modify determination","url":"\/20-146.14\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.14","metadata":false},{"id":55943,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.15","catch_line":"Temporary emergency jurisdiction","url":"\/20-146.15\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.15","metadata":false},{"id":63781,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.16","catch_line":"Notice; opportunity to be heard; joinder","url":"\/20-146.16\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.16","metadata":false},{"id":85749,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.17","catch_line":"Simultaneous proceedings","url":"\/20-146.17\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.17","metadata":false},{"id":85297,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.18","catch_line":"Inconvenient forum","url":"\/20-146.18\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.18","metadata":false},{"id":63634,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.19","catch_line":"Jurisdiction declined by reason of conduct","url":"\/20-146.19\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.19","metadata":false},{"id":86444,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.20","catch_line":"Information to be submitted to court","url":"\/20-146.20\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.20","metadata":false},{"id":84744,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.21","catch_line":"Appearance of parties and child","url":"\/20-146.21\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.21","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":55943,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.15","catch_line":"Temporary emergency jurisdiction","url":"\/20-146.15\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.15","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":85749,"structure_id":14515,"section_number":"20-146.17","catch_line":"Simultaneous proceedings","url":"\/20-146.17\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.17","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-146.16\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 229 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2001, chapter 305<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":56615,"section_number":"20-146.7","catch_line":"Notice to persons outside state","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-146.7\/"}],"permalink":{"id":179289,"object_type":"law","relational_id":63781,"identifier":"20-146.16","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.16","url":"\/20-146.16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-146.16\/","token":"20\/7.1\/2\/20-146.16","dublin_core":{"Title":"Notice; opportunity to be heard; joinder","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-146.16","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Before a child’s custody<\/span> determination is made under this act, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of § 20-146.7<\/a> must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the laws<\/span> of this Commonwealth as in child custody<\/span> proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth, any parent whose parental rights have not been previously terminated, and any person having physical custody<\/span> of the child. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth shall govern the enforceability of a child custody<\/span> determination made without actual notice or an opportunity to be heard. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The obligation to join a party<\/span> and the right to intervene as a party<\/span> in a child custody<\/span> proceeding under this act are governed by the laws<\/span> of this Commonwealth as in child custody<\/span> proceedings between residents of this Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nNOTICE; OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD; JOINDER (\u00a7 20-146.16)\n\nA. Before a child’s custody determination is made under this act, notice\nand an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of §\n20-146.7 must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the laws of this\nCommonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this\nCommonwealth, any parent whose parental rights have not been previously\nterminated, and any person having physical custody of the child.\n\nB. The laws of the Commonwealth shall govern the enforceability of a child\ncustody determination made without actual notice or an opportunity to be heard.\n\nC. The obligation to join a party and the right to intervene as a party in a\nchild custody proceeding under this act are governed by the laws of this\nCommonwealth as in child custody proceedings between residents of this\nCommonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 229, \u00a7\u00a7 20-127, 20-133; 2001, c. 305.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}