Fifth Family Circuit, West Virginia

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The Fifth Family Circuit resides in West Virginia. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

* Jurisdiction
* Selection method

## Contents

* 1 Jurisdiction
* 2 Selection method
* 2.1 Judicial elections in West Virginia
* 2.2 General election
* 3 See also
* 4 External links
* 5 Footnotes

## Jurisdiction[edit]

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

“  | Family court judges hear cases involving divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, paternity, grandparent visitation, name change, infant guardianship, child custody, and issues involving allocation of parental responsibility and family support proceedings, except those incidental to child abuse and neglect proceedings. Family court judges also may perform marriages.[2] | ”

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## Selection method[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in the states

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

Judges of the West Virginia Family Courts are each elected to six- and eight-year terms. Their initial term is six years and every subsequent term is eight years.[3] The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a state citizen, a circuit resident, at least 30 years of age and have five years of law practice in the state.[4]

### Judicial elections in West Virginia[edit]

See also: West Virginia judicial elections

West Virginia is one of 10 states that uses nonpartisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

### General election[edit]

Judges in West Virginia compete in nonpartisan elections in even-numbered years. They run in a general election in that takes place on the same day as West Virginia's primary for partisan offices.

## See also[edit]

Local Courts

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Other West Virginia Courts

* West Virginia federal courts
* Courts in West Virginia
* Judicial selection in West Virginia
* Judicial selection in the states

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## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* West Virginia courts

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ West Virginia Judiciary, "Family Courts," accessed May 23, 2023
2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
3. ↑ West Virginia Judiciary, "Family Courts," accessed September 25, 2014
4. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: West Virginia; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 3, 2014

West Virginia courts

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Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia

State courts:

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia • West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals • West Virginia Circuit Courts • West Virginia Family Courts • West Virginia Magistrate Courts • West Virginia Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in West Virginia • West Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in West Virginia

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State of West Virginia
Charleston (capital)

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