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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60259</law_id><section_number>16.1-244</section_number><catch_line>Concurrent jurisdiction; exceptions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-241</reference><reference>16.1-242</reference><reference>20-103</reference><reference>20-108.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Jurisdiction and Venue</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Nothing contained in <span class="dictionary">this law</span> shall deprive any other court of the concurrent <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> to determine the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of children upon a <span class="dictionary">writ</span> of <span class="dictionary">habeas corpus</span> under <span class="dictionary">the law</span>, or to determine the <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, guardianship, visitation or support of children when such <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, guardianship, visitation or support is incidental to the determination of causes pending in such <span class="dictionary">courts</span>, nor deprive a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> to determine spousal support in a suit for separate maintenance. However, when a suit for divorce has been filed in a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court, in which the <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, guardianship, visitation or support of children of the parties or spousal support is raised by the <span class="dictionary">pleadings</span> and a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, including a <span class="dictionary">pendente lite</span> <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, is set by the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court on any such <span class="dictionary">issue</span> for a date certain or placed on a <span class="dictionary">motions</span> <span class="dictionary">docket</span> within 21 days of the filing, though such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> itself may occur after such 21-day period, the juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">courts</span> shall be divested of the right to enter any further <span class="dictionary">decrees</span> or <span class="dictionary">orders</span> to determine <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, guardianship, visitation or support when raised for such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> and such matters shall be determined by the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court unless both parties agreed to a referral to the <span class="dictionary">juvenile court</span>. In any case in which the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the juvenile and domestic relations district court has been divested pursuant to this section and no final support <span class="dictionary">order</span> has been entered, any award for child support or spousal support in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court shall be retroactive to the date on which the proceeding was commenced by the filing of the action in the juvenile and domestic relations district court, provided that the petitioner exercised due diligence in the service of the respondent. Nothing in this section shall deprive a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of the authority to refer any such case to a commissioner for a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> or shall deprive the juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">courts</span> of the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> to enforce its valid <span class="dictionary">orders</span> prior to the entry of a conflicting <span class="dictionary">order</span> of any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court for any period during which the <span class="dictionary">order</span> was in effect or to temporarily place a child in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of any person when that child has been adjudicated abused, neglected, in need of services or delinquent subsequent to the <span class="dictionary">order</span> of any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court. <a id="paragraph-220384" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-244/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> <span class="dictionary">Jurisdiction</span> of cases involving violations of federal law by a child shall be concurrent and shall be assumed only if waived by the federal court or the United States attorney. <a id="paragraph-220385" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-244/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 16.1-161; 1956, c. 555; 1977, c. 559; 1978, c. 740; 1984, cc. 657, 669; 1985, c. 183; 1987, c. 36; 1989, c. 509; 1990, c. 600; 2000, c. 781; 2003, c. 129; 2022, c. 527; 2023, c. 622.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
