W. Va. Code § 56-6-39
Any motion, civil action at law, or chancery cause, pending in a circuit court, or any other court, or before the judge thereof, having jurisdiction of the subject matter, or any matter of law, or fact, arising in such motion, action at law, or chancery cause, may, by consent of parties, either in person or by counsel, next friend or guardian ad litem, in term time entered of record, or by like consent in vacation, be submitted to the judge of such court for such decision and decree, judgment, or order, therein in vacation as might be made in term; but such court may, either in term or vacation, without such consent, when it desires time to consider its judgment as to any motion, action at law, chancery cause, or matter of law, or fact arising therein, which has been fully argued and submitted, direct such motion, action at law, chancery cause, or matter of law or fact, to be submitted for decision, and decree, judgment or order in vacation: Provided, however, That no such consent shall be necessary as to any defendant against whom the cause, action or motion has been matured by order of publication, and who has not appeared by motion, demurrer, plea, or answer. When such consent is in vacation, the judge shall certify the fact to the clerk of the court in which the motion, action at law, or chancery cause is pending, to be entered in the law or chancery order book, as the case may be. The judge acting in vacation under this section, in addition to the other powers herein given to him, shall have authority to do any and all things, and to enter all judgments, decrees or orders in behalf of or at the request of a party desiring to take an appeal or to apply for a writ of error, that the court might do or enter in term time. The judge shall certify the judgments, orders and decrees made by him in vacation to the clerk aforesaid, to be entered in like manner as the vacation consent. All judgments, orders and decrees, so made and entered, shall have the same force and effect as if made and entered in term, except that in case of a judgment, order or decree for money the same shall be effective only from the time of day at which it is received in the clerk's office to be entered of record.
W. Va. Code § 56-6-39