In Virginia, sole custody—where one parent bears the child’s primary physical and legal responsibilities—is usually only awarded in certain situations and is not always guaranteed. The best interests of the child are given priority under Virginia law, which includes taking into account a number of variables to identify the optimum living arrangements and decision-making authority for the child. The goal of Virginia’s courts is to base custody decisions on what’s best for the child.

https://srislawyer.com/how-to-get-sole-custody-of-a-child-in-virginia-fairfax/