Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 44C > Article 2 - Jurisdiction

• Adult: means an individual who has attained eighteen years of age. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Conservator: means a person appointed by the court to administer the property of an adult, including a person appointed under section one, article one, chapter . See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Emergency: means a circumstance that likely will result in substantial harm to a respondent'. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Guardian: means a person appointed by the court to make decisions regarding the person of an adult, including a person appointed under article two, chapter . See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Home state: means the state in which the respondent was physically present, including any period of temporary absence, for at least six consecutive months immediately before the filing of a petition for a protective order or the appointment of a guardian. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Party: means the respondent, petitioner, guardian, conservator or any other person allowed by the court to participate in a guardianship or protective proceeding. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Protected person: as used in this chapter , has the meaning ascribed to it in subsection thirteen-b, section four, article one, chapter . See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Respondent: means an adult for whom a protective order or the appointment of a guardian is sought. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• Significant-connection state: means a state, other than the home state, with which a respondent has a significant connection other than mere physical presence and in which substantial evidence concerning the respondent is available. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, a federally recognized Indian tribe or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See West Virginia Code 44C-1-2