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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63634</law_id><section_number>20-146.19</section_number><catch_line>Jurisdiction declined by reason of conduct</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-146.12</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> Except as otherwise provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Temporary emergency jurisdiction" href="/20-146.15/">20-146.15</a> or by other <span class="dictionary">law</span> of this Commonwealth, if a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth has <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under this act because a person seeking to invoke its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall decline to exercise its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> unless: <a id="paragraph-231816" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The parents and all persons acting as parents have acquiesced in the exercise of <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>; <a id="paragraph-231817" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> A <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the state otherwise 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> determines that this Commonwealth is a more appropriate forum under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Inconvenient forum" href="/20-146.18/">20-146.18</a>; or <a id="paragraph-231818" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> No <span class="dictionary">court</span> of any other state would have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> under the criteria specified in subsection B. <a id="paragraph-231819" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of this Commonwealth declines to exercise its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> pursuant to subsection A, it may fashion an appropriate remedy to ensure the safety of the child and prevent a repetition of the unjustifiable conduct, including staying the proceeding until a child <span class="dictionary">custody</span> proceeding is commenced in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> 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 id="paragraph-231820" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">court</span> dismisses a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> or <span class="dictionary">stays</span> a proceeding because it declines to exercise its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> pursuant to subsection A, it shall assess against the <span class="dictionary">party</span> seeking to invoke its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> necessary and reasonable expenses including costs, communication expenses, attorney&#x2019;s fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care during the course of the proceedings, unless the <span class="dictionary">party</span> from whom fees are sought establishes that the assessment would be clearly inappropriate. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> may not assess fees, costs, or expenses against this Commonwealth unless authorized by <span class="dictionary">law</span> other than this act. <a id="paragraph-231821" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-146.19/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 229, &#xA7; 20-131; 2001, c. 305.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
