West Virginia § 51-2A-2a Family court jurisdiction to restrict contact between parties

West Virginia Statutes

§ 51-2A-2a — Family court jurisdiction to restrict contact between parties

West Virginia § 51-2A-2a

Ch. 51COURTS AND THEIR OFFICERS

Art. 2AFAMILY COURTS

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Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 51-2A-2a (2026).

Text

(a)A family court in its discretion may, at any time during the pendency of any action prosecuted under chapter forty-eight of this code, restrict contact between the parties thereto without a finding of domestic violence under article twenty-seven of said chapter. This order shall not be considered a protective order for purposes of section five hundred seven, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code. A court may enter a standing order regarding the conduct expected of the parties during the proceeding. Any standing order may restrict the parties from:

(1)Entering the home, school, business or place of employment of the other for the purpose of bothering or annoying the other;

(2)Contacting the other, in person, in writing, electronically or by telephone, for purposes n

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(a) A family court in its discretion may, at any time during the pendency of any action prosecuted under chapter forty-eight of this code, restrict contact between the parties thereto without a finding of domestic violence under article twenty-seven of said chapter. This order shall not be considered a protective order for purposes of section five hundred seven, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code. A court may enter a standing order regarding the conduct expected of the parties during the proceeding. Any standing order may restrict the parties from:

(1) Entering the home, school, business or place of employment of the other for the purpose of bothering or annoying the other;

(2) Contacting the other, in person, in writing, electronically or by telephone, for purposes not clearly necessary for the prosecution of the underlying action or any obligation related thereto or resulting therefrom.

(b) Upon a finding of misconduct by a party, the court shall enter an order against the offending party enjoining the conduct which disturbs or interferes with the peace or liberty of the other party so long as such conduct does not rise to the level of or constitute domestic violence as defined in article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code. The court shall not issue orders under this section in cases where the conduct of either party has previously risen to the level of domestic violence.

(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude the court from entering an emergency protective order, or final protective order, as provided in article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section five hundred five, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code, an order entered pursuant to the provisions of this section shall remain in effect for a period of time as specified in the order.

(e) The court may enforce orders under this section against the offending party through its powers of contempt, pursuant to section nine of this article.

(f) It is the express intent of the Legislature that orders issued pursuant to this section are to restrict behavior which is not of sufficient severity to implicate the provisions of article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code and 18 U. S. C. §922(g)(8).