How Does the West Virginia Family Court Work?

West Virginia Family Courts are trial courts that hear cases involving family matters and domestic relations filed in the West Virginia court system. The state’s court system currently has a total of 47 Family Court judges. Family Court judges are elected to an eight-year term in non-partisan elections, and the elected judge must have practiced West Virginia law for at least five years. If a Family Court judge leaves office before the eight-year term expiration, the State Governor will appoint a replacement judge to complete the term.

Family Courts are spread out among 27 family court circuits in the state, and these courts have jurisdiction over certain types of family and domestic relations cases. Some of these cases include:

• Divorce and annulment cases
• Separate maintenance cases
• Grandparent visitation cases
• Paternity cases
• Cases involving the allocation of parental responsibility
• Family support proceedings that do not involve child abuse and neglect
• Final hearings in domestic violence proceedings

Final orders for Family Court cases are typically issued within 240 days after the filing of the initial pleading. Cases heard in these courts usually do not involve juries, and decisions reached may be appealed in a West Virginia Circuit Court. These decisions can also be appealed directly to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in cases where both parties agree to do so.

Parties that wish to obtain copies of West Virginia Family Court records may do so by contacting the Circuit Clerk’s office at the court where the case was filed. Requestors are typically required to pay a fee to process the request. It is important to note that, due to the sensitive nature of Family Court proceedings, access to these records may be restricted. Parties that wish to access confidential records will be required to provide a court order authorizing the requested records’ release.

West Virginia Family Courts can be found at the following locations:

Barbour County Family Court
Barbour County Courthouse
26 North Main Street
Philippi, WV 26416
Phone: (304) 457–3454 ext. 211

Berkeley County Family Court
Berkeley County Judicial Center
380 West South Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Phone: (304) 264–1918

Boone County Family Court
Boone County Courthouse
206 Court Street
Madison, WV 25130
Phone: (304) 369–7847

Braxton County Family Court
Braxton County Courthouse
300 Main Street
Sutton, WV 26601
Phone: (304) 765–2837

Brooke County Family Court
Brooke County Courthouse
632 Main Street
P.O. Box 474
Wellsburg, WV 26070
Phone: (304) 737–3662

Cabell County Family Court
Cabell County Courthouse
750 5th Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
Phone: (304) 526–8622

Calhoun County Family Court
Calhoun County Courthouse
363 Main Street
P.O. Box 266
Grantsville, WV 26147
Phone: (304) 354–6910

Clay County Family Court
Clay County Courthouse
246 Main Street
P.O. Box 129
Clay, WV 25043
Phone: (304) 587–4256

Doddridge County Family Court
Doddridge County Courthouse
118 East Court Street
West Union, WV 26456
Phone: (304) 627–2345

Fayette County Family Court
Fayette County Courthouse
100 North Court Street
Fayetteville, WV 25840
Phone: (304) 574–4249

Gilmer County Family Court
Gilmer County Courthouse
10 Howard Street
Glenville, WV 26351
Phone: (304) 462–7241

Grant County Family Court
5 Highland Avenue
Petersburg, WV 26847
Phone: (304) 257–4545

Greenbrier County Family Court
Greenbrier County Courthouse
200 Court Street North
Lewisburg, WV 24901
Phone: (304) 647–6626

Hampshire County Family Court
Hampshire County Judicial Center
50 South High Street
P.O. Box 343
Romney, WV 26757
Phone: (304) 822–5022

Hancock County Family Court
Hancock County Courthouse
102 North Court Street
P.O. Box 428
New Cumberland, WV 26047
Phone: (304) 564–3311

Hardy County Family Court
Hardy County Courthouse
204 Washington Street
Room 237
Moorefield, WV 26836
Phone: (304) 530–0230

Harrison County Family Court
Harrison County Courthouse
301 West Main Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624–8640

Jackson County Family Court
Jackson County Courthouse
100 Court Street
P.O. Box 427
Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: (304) 373–2210

Jefferson County Family Court
Jefferson County Old Jail Annex
119 North George Street
P.O. Box 1234
Charles Town, WV 25414
Phone: (304) 728–3231

Kanawha County Family Court
Kanawha County Judicial Building
111 Court Street
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 357–0440

Lewis County Family Court
117 Court Avenue
P.O. Box 69
Weston, WV 26452
Phone: (304) 269–8210

Lincoln County Family Court
Lincoln County Courthouse
8000 Court Avenue
Hamlin, WV 25523
Phone: (304) 824–7990 ext. 260

Logan County Family Court
Logan County Courthouse
300 Stratton Street
Logan, WV 25601
Phone: (304) 792–8550

Marion County Family Court
Marion County Courthouse
219 Adams Street
Room 211
Fairmont, WV 26554
Phone: (304) 367–5360

Mason County Family Court
Mason County Courthouse
200 6th Street
Point Pleasant, WV 25550
Phone: (304) 675–4400

McDowell County Family Court
McDowell County Courthouse
90 Wyoming Street
Suite 201
Welch, WV 24801
Phone: (304) 436–8535

Mercer County Family Court
Mercer County Courthouse
1501 Main Street
Princeton, WV 24740
Phone: (304) 487–8323

Mineral County Family Court
Mineral County Judicial Annex
107 West Street
Keyser, WV 26726
Phone: (304) 788–0028

Mingo County Family Court
Mingo County Courthouse
75 East 2nd Avenue
P.O. Box 435
Williamson, WV 25661
Phone: (304) 235–0320

Monongalia County Family Court
Monongalia County Courthouse
243 High Street
Room 110
Morgantown, WV 26505
Phone: (304) 291–7240

Monroe County Family Court
Monroe County Courthouse
216 Main Street
P.O. Box 350
Union, WV 24983
Phone: (304) 772–3017

Morgan County Family Court
Morgan County Courthouse
77 Fairfax Street
Room 302
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
Phone: (304) 258–8554

Nicholas County Family Court
Nicholas County Courthouse
700 Main Street
Suite 5
Summersville, WV 26651
Phone: (304) 872–7810

Ohio County Family Court
Ohio County Courthouse
1500 Chapline Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone: (304) 234–3611

Pleasants County Family Court
Pleasants County Courthouse
301 Court Lane
St. Marys, WV 26170
Phone: (304) 684–3513

Pendleton County Family Court
Pendleton County Courthouse
100 South Main Street
P.O. Box 846
Franklin, WV 26807
Phone: (304) 358–7067

Pocahontas County Family Court
Pocahontas County Courthouse
900 10th Avenue
Suite D
Marlinton, WV 24954
Phone: (304) 799–4604

Preston County Family Court
Preston County Courthouse
101 West Main Street
Room 301
Kingwood, WV 26537
Phone: (304) 329–0047

Putnam County Family Court
Putnam County Judicial Building
12093 Winfield Road
Winfield, WV 25213
Phone: (304) 586–0203

Raleigh County Family Court
Raleigh County Judicial Center
222 Main Street
Beckley, WV 25801
Phone: (304) 255–9135

Randolph County Family Court
Randolph County Courthouse
2 Randolph Avenue
Elkins, WV 26241
Phone: (304) 636–2765

Ritchie County Family Court
Ritchie County Courthouse
115 East Main Street
Room 301
Harrisville., WV 26362
Phone: (304) 643–2164 ext. 229

Roane County Family Court
Roane County Courthouse
200 Main Street
Spencer, WV 25276
Phone: (304) 927–2750

Summers County Family Court
Summers County Courthouse
120 Ballengee Street
Hinton, WV 25951
Phone: (304) 466–7103

Taylor County Family Court
Taylor County Courthouse
214 West Main Street
Room 104
Grafton, WV 26354
Phone: (304) 265–2480

Tucker County Family Court
Tucker County Courthouse
211 1st Street
Suite 407
Parsons, WV 26287
Phone: (304) 478–2606 ext. 202

Tyler County Family Court
Tyler County Courthouse
121 Main Street
P.O. Box 8
Middlebourne, WV 26149
Phone: (304) 758–4811

Upshur County Family Court
Upshur County Courthouse Annex
38 West Main Street
Buckhannon, WV 26201
Phone: (304) 472–2370

Wayne County Family Court
Wayne County Courthouse
700 Hendricks Street
P.O. Box 38
Wayne, WV 25570
Phone: (304) 272–6360

Webster County Family Court
Webster County Courthouse
2 Court Square
Room G4
Webster Springs, WV 26288
Phone: (304) 847–2421

Wetzel County Family Court
Wetzel County Courthouse
200 Main Street
P.O. Box 263
New Martinsville, WV 26155
Phone: (304) 455–8219

Wirt County Family Court
Wirt County Courthouse
1 Court Street
P.O. Box 465
Elizabeth, WV 26143
Phone: (304) 275–6597

Wood County Family Court
Wood County Judicial Building
2 Government Square
Parkersburg, WV 26101
Phone: (304) 424–1700

Wyoming County Family Court
222 Main Street
Beckley, WV 25801
Phone: (304) 256–6749