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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55943</law_id><section_number>20-146.15</section_number><catch_line>Temporary emergency jurisdiction</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-146.12</reference><reference>20-146.13</reference><reference>20-146.14</reference><reference>20-146.17</reference><reference>20-146.19</reference><reference>20-146.31</reference><reference>20-146.35</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7.1">Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Jurisdiction</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth has temporary emergency <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> if the child is present in this Commonwealth and the child has been abandoned or if it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of the child, is subjected to mistreatment or abuse or placed in reasonable apprehension of mistreatment or abuse or there is reasonable apprehension that such person is threatened with mistreatment or abuse. <a id="paragraph-204922" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.15/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If there is no previous child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination that is entitled to be enforced under this act and a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has not been commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of a state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>, a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination made under this section remains in effect until an <span class="dictionary">order</span> is obtained from a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of a state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>. If a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has not been or is not commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of a state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>, a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination made under this section becomes a final determination, if it so provides and this Commonwealth becomes the home state of the child. <a id="paragraph-204923" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.15/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If there is a previous child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination that is entitled to be enforced under this act, or a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has been commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of a state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>, any <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued by a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth under this section must specify in the <span class="dictionary">order</span> a period that the <span class="dictionary">court</span> considers adequate to allow the person seeking an <span class="dictionary">order</span> to obtain an <span class="dictionary">order</span> from the state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>. The <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued in this Commonwealth remains in effect until an <span class="dictionary">order</span> is obtained from the other state within the period specified or until the period expires. <a id="paragraph-204924" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.15/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> A <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth that has been asked to make a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination under this section, upon being informed that a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has been commenced in, or a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination has been made by, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of a state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>, shall immediately communicate with the other <span class="dictionary">court</span>. A <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth that is exercising <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Initial child custody jurisdiction" href="/20-146.12/">20-146.12</a>, <a class="law" title="Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction" href="/20-146.13/">20-146.13</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction to modify determination" href="/20-146.14/">20-146.14</a>, upon being informed that a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has been commenced in, or a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination has been made by, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of another state under a <span class="dictionary">statute</span> similar to this section, shall immediately communicate with the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of that state to resolve the emergency, protect the safety of the parties and the child, and determine a period for the duration of the temporary <span class="dictionary">order</span>. <a id="paragraph-204925" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.15/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2001, c. 305.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
