West Virginia Code § 48-1-303

Confidentiality of domestic relations court files
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(a) All orders in domestic relations actions entered in the civil order books by circuit clerks
are public records. e
(b) Upon the filing of a domestic relations action, all pleadings, exhibitsr or other documents,
other than orders, that are contained in the court file are confidential and not open for
public inspection either during the pendency of the case or after the case is closed.
(c) When sensitive information has been disclosed during a htearing or in pleadings, evidence
or documents filed in the record, the court may, sua sponte or upon motion of a party, order
such information sealed in the court file. Sealed documents or court files can only be opened
by order of a circuit or family court judge.
(d) The parties, their designees, their attorneyss, a duly appointed guardian ad litem or any
other person who has standing to seek modification or enforcement of a support order has
the right to examine and copy any document in a confidential court file that has not been
sealed by court order. Upon motion gand for good cause shown, the court may permit a
person who is not a party to the action to examine and copy any documents that are
necessary to further the intereests of justice.
(e) The clerk of the circuit court shall keep a written log of all persons who examine
confidential documents as provided for in this section. Every person who examines
confidential documents shall first sign the clerk's written log, except for a circuit judge or
family court judge before whom the case is pending, or court personnel acting within the
scope of their duties. The clerk shall record the time and date of every examination of
confidential documents. The log must be retained by the clerk and must be available upon
reqWuest for inspection by the circuit judge or the family court judge.

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