(a) The primary objective of this article is to serve the childs best interests by facilitating:(1) Stability of the child;(2) Collaborative parental planning and agreement about the childs custodial arrangements and upbringing;(3) Continuity of existing parent-child attachments;(4) Meaningful contact between a child and each parent, and which is rebuttably presumed to be equal (50-50) custodial allocation of the child;(5) Caretaking and parenting relationships by adults who love the child, know how to provide for the childs needs, and who place a high priority on doing so;(6) Security from exposure to physical or emotional harm; (7) Expeditious, predictable decisionmaking and avoidance of prolonged uncertainty respecting arrangements for the childs care and control; and(8) Meaningful contact between a child and his or her siblings, including half-siblings.(b) A secondary objective of this article is to achieve fairness between the parents consistent with the rebuttable presumption of equal (50-50) custodial allocation.
West Virginia Legal Code