In VA the residency requirement needed to pursue divorce proceedings is six months.
In MI it is only three months.
Some states have a special stipulation that the persons intending to divorce live separately for a certain amount of time. In VA, this period is a year.
Michigan has no such stipulation.
If Venus was unable to support herself and her girls, in separate accommodation, for an entire year, it makes complete sense for her to relocate to Michigan prior to pursuing a divorce suit.
Oh, and as an aside, Doug would not have had to petition MI courts for an injunction...he could have filed a motion in VA and the judge there would have determined whether or not an injunction was warranted. It couldn't be considered custodial interference until custody arrangements were ordered. Until a court intervenes and sets orders both parents are assumed to have joint custody.
It would have been an injunction ordering the children to return to sort out the custody. Had that happened and she'd not complied there then would have been legal ramifications and it could have hindered her chances at custody in the future.
There is also a difference between physical and legal custody (some states have different terms for these) - physical is the parent the children reside with while legal is the right to decision making, basically, schools, doctors, religion, etc.
The majority of permanent custody orders dictate time shares (e.g with Mom for 12 days, Dad for 11) or a primary custodial parent (e.g. lives with Dad but visits Mom at Mom's house every weekend) and joint legal custody - meaning both parents share a right to the decisions made for the child. Sole physical and legal custody are very difficult to attain since family courts now favor the shared parenting theory.
Even with restraining orders and allegations of abuse - unless the court feels the children are in danger from a parent they assume joint custody is always in the best interest of the child.
Not that I'm a lawyer, mind you...
Just acted like one for my own divorce and relocation case.
http://www.divorcesource.com/info/divorcelaws/virginia.shtml
http://www.divorceroom.com/divorce-laws/virginia-divorce-laws.html
http://www.divorceroom.com/divorce-laws/michigan-divorce-laws.html