{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1242.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1242.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1242.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1242.html"}],"law_id":85724,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85724,"structure_id":16043,"section_number":"63.2-1242","catch_line":"Investigation and report at discretion of circuit court","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 63-356.1; 1950, p. 626; 1956, c. 300; 1968, c. 578, \u00a7 63.1-231; 1974, c. 421; 1975, c. 364; 1977, c. 526; 1979, c. 339; 1986, cc. 481, 482; 1987, c. 482; 1992, c. 607; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.49; 2002, c. 747; 2018, c. 9.","full_text":"For adoptions under this article, an investigation and report shall be undertaken only if the circuit court in its discretion determines that there should be an investigation before a final order of adoption is entered. If the circuit court makes such a determination, it shall refer the matter to the local director for an investigation and report to be completed within such time as the circuit court designates. If an investigation is ordered, the circuit court shall forward a copy of the petition and all exhibits thereto to the local director and the provisions of \u00a7 63.2-1208 shall apply.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":307019,"text":"For adoptions under this article, an investigation and report shall be undertaken only if the circuit court in its discretion determines that there should be an investigation before a final order of adoption is entered. If the circuit court makes such a determination, it shall refer the matter to the local director for an investigation and report to be completed within such time as the circuit court designates. If an investigation is ordered, the circuit court shall forward a copy of the petition and all exhibits thereto to the local director and the provisions of \u00a7 63.2-1208 shall apply.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16043,"edition_id":1,"name":"Stepparent and Confirmatory Adoption","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14096,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:04:34","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:04:34","permalink":{"id":271575,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16043,"identifier":"4","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14096,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adoption","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","permalink":{"id":271365,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14096,"identifier":"12","token":"63.2\/III\/12","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13897,"edition_id":1,"name":"Social Services Programs","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12789,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":271331,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13897,"identifier":"III","token":"63.2\/III","url":"\/63.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12789,"edition_id":1,"name":"Welfare (Social Services)","identifier":"63.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":270661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12789,"identifier":"63.2","token":"63.2","url":"\/63.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62936,"structure_id":16043,"section_number":"63.2-1241","catch_line":"Adoption of child by spouse of birth or adoptive parent or other person with legitimate interest","url":"\/63.2-1241\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4\/63.2-1241","metadata":false},{"id":85724,"structure_id":16043,"section_number":"63.2-1242","catch_line":"Investigation and report at discretion of circuit court","url":"\/63.2-1242\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4\/63.2-1242","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":62936,"structure_id":16043,"section_number":"63.2-1241","catch_line":"Adoption of child by spouse of birth or adoptive parent or other person with legitimate interest","url":"\/63.2-1241\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4\/63.2-1241","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1242\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 13 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1956, chapter 300; in 1968, chapter 578; in 1974, chapter 421; in 1975, chapter 364; in 1977, chapter 526; in 1979, chapter 339; in 1986, chapters 481 and 482; in 1987, chapter 482; in 1992, chapter 607; in 1995, chapters 772<\/a> and 826<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 830<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 9<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58081,"section_number":"63.2-1208","catch_line":"Investigations; report to circuit court","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1208\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":58081,"section_number":"63.2-1208","catch_line":"Investigations; report to circuit court","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1208\/"}],"permalink":{"id":271581,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85724,"identifier":"63.2-1242","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4\/63.2-1242","url":"\/63.2-1242\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1242\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/4\/63.2-1242","dublin_core":{"Title":"Investigation and report at discretion of circuit court","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1242","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

For adoptions under this article, an investigation and report shall be undertaken only if the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> in its discretion determines that there should be an investigation before a final order<\/span> of adoption is entered. If the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> makes such a determination, it shall refer the matter to the local director<\/span> for an investigation and report to be completed within such time as the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> designates. If an investigation is ordered, the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall forward a copy of the petition<\/span> and all exhibits thereto to the local director<\/span> and the provisions of \u00a7 63.2-1208<\/a> shall apply.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINVESTIGATION AND REPORT AT DISCRETION OF CIRCUIT COURT (\u00a7 63.2-1242)\n\nFor adoptions under this article, an investigation and report shall be\nundertaken only if the circuit court in its discretion determines that there\nshould be an investigation before a final order of adoption is entered. If the\ncircuit court makes such a determination, it shall refer the matter to the local\ndirector for an investigation and report to be completed within such time as the\ncircuit court designates. If an investigation is ordered, the circuit court\nshall forward a copy of the petition and all exhibits thereto to the local\ndirector and the provisions of \u00a7 63.2-1208 shall apply.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 63-356.1; 1950, p. 626; 1956, c. 300; 1968, c. 578, \u00a7\n63.1-231; 1974, c. 421; 1975, c. 364; 1977, c. 526; 1979, c. 339; 1986, cc. 481,\n482; 1987, c. 482; 1992, c. 607; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7\n63.1-219.49; 2002, c. 747; 2018, c. 9.","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}}