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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85749</law_id><section_number>20-146.17</section_number><catch_line>Simultaneous proceedings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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> Except as otherwise provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Temporary emergency jurisdiction" href="/20-146.15/">20-146.15</a>, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth may not exercise its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under this article if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the child has been previously commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of another state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> substantially in conformity with this act, unless the proceeding has been terminated or is stayed by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the other state because a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth is a more convenient forum under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Inconvenient forum" href="/20-146.18/">20-146.18</a>. <a id="paragraph-307091" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Except as otherwise provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Temporary emergency jurisdiction" href="/20-146.15/">20-146.15</a>, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth, before <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding, shall examine the <span class="dictionary">court</span> documents and other information supplied by the parties pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Information to be submitted to court" href="/20-146.20/">20-146.20</a>. If the <span class="dictionary">court</span> determines that a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding has been commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> in another state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> substantially in accordance with this act, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth shall <span class="dictionary">stay</span> its proceeding and communicate with the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the other state. If the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the state having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> substantially in accordance with this act does not determine that the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth is a more appropriate forum, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth shall dismiss the proceeding. <a id="paragraph-307092" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In a proceeding to modify a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth shall determine whether a proceeding to enforce the determination has been commenced in another state. If a proceeding to enforce a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> determination has been commenced in another state, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may: <a id="paragraph-307093" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> <span class="dictionary">Stay</span> the proceeding for modification pending the entry of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> of a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the other state enforcing, staying, denying, or dismissing the proceeding for enforcement; <a id="paragraph-307094" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Enjoin the parties from continuing with the proceeding for enforcement; or <a id="paragraph-307095" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Proceed with the modification under conditions it considers appropriate. <a id="paragraph-307096" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.17/#C3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 229, &#xA7; 20-129; 2001, c. 305.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
