{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-23-203","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 48-23-203","heading":"Adoption defined.","body":"\"Adoption\" means the judicial act of creating the relationship of parent and child where it did not exist previously.","path":["CHAPTER 48. DOMESTIC RELATIONS.","ARTICLE 23. VOLUNTARY ADOPTION REGISTRY."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/48-23-203/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:30:32Z","sha256":"26af5c285467d0deca2f88d5020856665875aff1491f0aecd12ecfe45abde8a3","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-23-202","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-23-204"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}