{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/64.2-1700.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/64.2-1700.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/64.2-1700.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/64.2-1700.html"}],"law_id":67669,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67669,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1700","catch_line":"Natural guardians","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 5320; 1930, p. 687; Code 1950, \u00a7 31-1; 1999, c. 16; 2012, c. 614.","full_text":"The parents of an unmarried minor child are the joint natural guardians of the person of such child with equal legal powers and legal rights with regard to such child, provided that the parents are living together, are respectively competent to transact their own business, and are not otherwise unsuitable. Upon the death of either parent, the survivor shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child. If either parent has abandoned the family, the other parent shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":245159,"text":"The parents of an unmarried minor child are the joint natural guardians of the person of such child with equal legal powers and legal rights with regard to such child, provided that the parents are living together, are respectively competent to transact their own business, and are not otherwise unsuitable. Upon the death of either parent, the survivor shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child. If either parent has abandoned the family, the other parent shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15871,"edition_id":1,"name":"Appointment of Guardian","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13807,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:00:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:00:56","permalink":{"id":275339,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15871,"identifier":"17","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17","url":"\/64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13807,"edition_id":1,"name":"Guardianship of Minor","identifier":"C","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12905,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:56","permalink":{"id":275337,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13807,"identifier":"C","token":"64.2\/IV\/C","url":"\/64.2\/IV\/C\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12905,"edition_id":1,"name":"Fiduciaries and Guardians","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12723,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:00","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:00","permalink":{"id":274813,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12905,"identifier":"IV","token":"64.2\/IV","url":"\/64.2\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12723,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries","identifier":"64.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":272781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12723,"identifier":"64.2","token":"64.2","url":"\/64.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":67669,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1700","catch_line":"Natural guardians","url":"\/64.2-1700\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1700","metadata":false},{"id":68554,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1701","catch_line":"Testamentary guardians","url":"\/64.2-1701\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1701","metadata":false},{"id":72415,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1702","catch_line":"Appointment of guardians","url":"\/64.2-1702\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1702","metadata":false},{"id":62421,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1703","catch_line":"Nomination of guardians","url":"\/64.2-1703\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1703","metadata":false},{"id":61358,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1704","catch_line":"Guardian's bond","url":"\/64.2-1704\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1704","metadata":false},{"id":72507,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1705","catch_line":"Redetermination of guardian's bond","url":"\/64.2-1705\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1705","metadata":false},{"id":84602,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1706","catch_line":"When court may appoint temporary guardians; bond; powers and duties","url":"\/64.2-1706\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1706","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":68554,"structure_id":15871,"section_number":"64.2-1701","catch_line":"Testamentary guardians","url":"\/64.2-1701\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1701","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/64.2-1700\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1999, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?991+ful+CHAP0016\">16<\/a>; in 2012, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?121+ful+CHAP0614\">614<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":67884,"section_number":"64.2-116","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-116\/"},{"id":65728,"section_number":"64.2-1800","catch_line":"Custody, care, and education of ward; ward's estate","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-1800\/"},{"id":65027,"section_number":"64.2-1806","catch_line":"Powers of guardian; transition rule","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-1806\/"},{"id":82738,"section_number":"65.2-201","catch_line":"General duties and powers of the Commission","order_by":null,"url":"\/65.2-201\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":275341,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67669,"identifier":"64.2-1700","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1700","url":"\/64.2-1700\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/64.2-1700\/","token":"64.2\/IV\/C\/17\/64.2-1700","dublin_core":{"Title":"Natural guardians","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 64.2-1700","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The parents of an unmarried <span class=\"dictionary\">minor<\/span> child are the joint natural guardians of the person of such child with equal legal powers and legal rights with regard to such child, provided that the parents are living together, are respectively competent to transact their own business, and are not otherwise unsuitable. Upon the death of either parent, the survivor shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child. If either parent has abandoned the family, the other parent shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nNATURAL GUARDIANS (\u00a7 64.2-1700)\n\nThe parents of an unmarried minor child are the joint natural guardians of the\nperson of such child with equal legal powers and legal rights with regard to\nsuch child, provided that the parents are living together, are respectively\ncompetent to transact their own business, and are not otherwise unsuitable. Upon\nthe death of either parent, the survivor shall be the natural guardian of the\nperson of such child. If either parent has abandoned the family, the other\nparent shall be the natural guardian of the person of such child.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 5320; 1930, p. 687; Code 1950, \u00a7 31-1; 1999, c. 16;\n2012, c. 614.","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}}