Civil Docket Information
The current 20th Judicial Circuit: Loudoun County Local Rules and Procedures (PDF) went into effect on April 17, 2023.
Forms
Civil Cases
- The court will hear trials on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of each week. All properly scheduled matters will be heard in-person, except by leave of Court pursuant to Rule 1:27.
- Nothing in this Courts Local Rules and Procedures dispenses with parties' obligation to comply with Rule 4:15(b) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
- Trials: Jury trials will commence at 9:00 a.m. Bench trials will commence at 10:00 a.m.
Circuit Court Schedule
Civil Scheduling
- Civil scheduling is held Monday and Tuesday (except holidays) at 9:00 a.m.
- All civil scheduling matters are conducted by telephone by calling
571-258-3708 - PLEASE NOTE: Scheduling by phone begins at 9:00 a.m. All calls placed prior to 9:00 a.m. will not go into the queue and will not be answered.
- The Docket Manager will wait 10 minutes after answering the final call in the queue before logging out.
- All praecipes for the scheduling docket must be filed with the Civil Division at least 7 calendar days prior to the proposed date for the matter to be heard by the Circuit Court.
- Failure to timely file a praecipe will result in the matter not being placed on the requested docket.
- If the deadline falls on a Saturday, the deadline to file the praecipe will be the prior business day (Friday).
Civil Motions Day
- Civil motions are heard on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Friday of each month.
- Motions are scheduled as follows:
- 9:00 a.m. – Uncontested Motions, Agreed Orders, Returns on Rules to Show Cause & Scheduling of Civil Appeals - 5 min.
- 10:00 a.m. – Contested Non-Domestic Relations Motions - 20 min.
- 2:00 p.m. – Contested Domestic Relations Motions - 20 min.
Pendente Lite Motions - 30 min.
The Court in its discretion may remove and specially set any motion that, in its judgment, requires a lengthier hearing. Due to volume, the Court may, sua sponte, reassign a motion to the next available docket.
- All praecipes must be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at least 14 calendar days prior to the proposed date for the matter to be heard by the Circuit Court. Failure to timely file a praecipe will result in the matter not being placed on the requested docket.
- A motion shall concisely set forth only the facts relied upon and the relief requested (i.e., no authority) and shall be filed at least 14 days prior to the scheduled motions day.
- Briefs must accompany a motion, with the following exceptions, unless ordered by the Court:
- Motions for modification of custody, visitation or support,
- Motions to Compel (see Motions to Compel below),
- Motions to Withdraw/Substitution of Counsel,
- Motions for pendente lite Relief,
- Motions to Continue,
- Motions to Appoint a guardian ad litem,
- Motions for a Rule to Show Cause,
- Motions for Presentment or Entry of an Order.
- If the motion is contested, responses to motions shall be filed at least 7 days prior to the scheduled hearing.
Time Limit
- All motions are expected not to exceed a total of 20 minutes per case, except pendente lite motions.
- If believed to exceed 20 minutes, a time estimate should be noted on the praecipe and/or in the opposition brief.
- Motions exceeding 20 minutes may be heard on the Friday Motions Docket, or may be specially set, in the discretion of the presiding judge.
- A movant/party is limited to one motion per case on a given motions day.
Pendente Lite Motions
- Pendente Lite hearings are not for child custody and parenting time (i.e., visitation) disputes. If parties wish to have custody and visitation matters decided, they may request a final hearing at a civil scheduling docket, which the Court will endeavor to expedite on its calendar.
- Exhibits
- Both parties shall exchange all exhibits no later than 7 days prior to the hearing. Exhibits that are not timely exchanged may not be considered.
- Exhibits should include, if applicable, a party’s most recent W2 or 1099, the last two pay statements, evidence of periodic health insurance paid on behalf of the child(ren), evidence of work-related childcare expenses, an income and expense statement, and a completed proposed support guideline worksheet.
- Pendente lite motions will be allocated 30 minutes as follows: moving party’s testimony proffered (5 minutes); cross-examination of moving party (5 minutes); responding party’s testimony proffered (5 minutes); cross examination of responding party (5 minutes); 10 minutes reserved for any questions from the Court, review of exhibits, and ruling. The time limits herein will be strictly enforced.
- Parties are strongly encouraged to enter into written stipulations on uncontested issues and submit them to the Court at the start of the hearing.
Motions to Compel
- In all motions to compel discovery responses, and oppositions thereto, the parties shall file an excel-type spreadsheet.
- The spreadsheet shall identify at a minimum:
- the verbatim interrogatory, document request and/or request for admission at issue;
- the responding party’s verbatim answer and/or objection;
- a summary of the moving party’s basis for requesting an order to compel;
- a blank column for the Court's notes/ruling.
- The spreadsheet shall be filed with the motion at least 14 days prior to argument on the motion. An opposition spreadsheet shall be filed at least 7 days prior to argument on the motions.
- Parties are strongly encouraged, but not required, to file a joint spreadsheet 14 days prior to argument on the motion. The Spreadsheet requirement supersedes the briefing requirement above.
- No Spreadsheet shall be required by the moving party where the responding party has failed to file any response to discovery.
Rules To Show Cause
- A Petition for a Rule to Show Cause shall be made under oath and filed with the Circuit Court Clerk to be directed to Judges' Chambers, with an accompanying Order for signature.
- The Order shall designate a return date, allowing sufficient time for the Petitioner to issue service of process, to any civil motions docket at 9:00 a.m.
- No praecipe is required to docket the first return date, which shall be for status and/or scheduling.
Guardian Ad Litem Reports
- Guardian ad Litem reports in guardianship, conservatorship and infant settlement cases shall be filed at least 7 days prior to the hearing. Failure to file the Guardian ad Litem report in a timely manner may result in the case being removed from the docket or rescheduled.
- Movants in a guardianship, conservatorship or infant settlement case are strongly encouraged to communicate with the Guardian ad Litem to ensure the report will be timely filed in anticipation of the scheduled hearing date.
Civil Trials
- Trials: Parties requesting a trial may schedule through the phone scheduling procedures outlined above.
- Pre-Trial Conferences:
- Pre-trial conferences will be set at 9:00 a.m. approximately one month prior to the trail in all cases involving Equitable Distribution; any civil case expected to last longer than two days; and otherwise as may be ordered by the Court.
- The pre-trial conference dates will be selected at the time counsel selects their trial dates when they call Phone Scheduling.
- The parties (or corporate representative authorized to negotiate settlement), and counsel who will be trying the case, are required to attend the Pre-Trial Conference.
- Failure to appear may cause the Court to remove or continue the pre-trial conference or the trial or impose sanctions on the non-appearing party/counsel.
- In any case involving equitable distribution pre-trial conferences, the parties must file, at least seven (7) days prior to the pre-trial conference, an initial joint equitable distribution schedule highlighting each entry on which the parties disagree.
- Failure to do so may cause the court to remove or continue the pre-trail conference or the trial or impose sanctions on the non-cooperating party.
Equitable Distribution Trials
- In any case involving equitable distribution, the parties must file, at least seven (7) days prior to trial a final joint equitable distribution schedule highlighting each entry on which the parties disagree.
- This requirement will necessitate cooperation between the parties.
- Parties in contested domestic relations cases involving grounds of divorce, child custody, equitable distribution, spousal support and/or child support may expect the Court to require post-trial transcripts and proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law cross-referenced to the trial transcripts and exhibits.
- Parties are required to prepare their respective cases in anticipation of the Court ordering the above post-trial filings, to include securing a court reporter.
- Parties shall be responsible for securing a court reporter and shall not rely on the Court's recording system for the preparation of transcripts.
Civil Appeals
- With the exception of Protective Order appeals, in all civil cases appealed from the District Courts, the parties will be contacted by the Circuit Court Clerk's Office and given a specific date to have their appeal scheduled.
- All provisions of the Virginia Code relating to papers transmitted to the appellate court and service of protective orders (e.g. Va. Code 16.1-112 and 8.01-290, as amended) shall apply.
- For appeals of Protective Orders hearings, once service is made on the opposing party, the Circuit Court Clerk's Office will contact the parties to schedule their appeal.
- Scheduling of all civil appeals from the District Courts will be conducted in person on the Civil Motions Docket at 9:00 a.m.
Exhibits
- For all trials, exhibits shall have each page uniquely numbered, in sequential order, for ease of reference for the Court and the parties.
Civil Trial Information
Information pertaining to bench trials, jury trials, trial exhibits, and appeals can be found within the 20th Judicial Circuit: Loudoun County Local Rules and Procedures (PDF).