{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-146.8.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-146.8.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-146.8.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-146.8.html"}],"law_id":353585,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353585,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.8","catch_line":"Appearance and limited immunity","history":"2001, c. 305.","full_text":"A\n\nA party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody determination is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this Commonwealth for another proceeding or purpose solely by reason of having participated, or having been physically present for the purpose of participating, in the proceeding.\n\nB\n\nA person who is subject to personal jurisdiction in this Commonwealth on a basis other than physical presence is not immune from service of process in this Commonwealth. A party present in this Commonwealth who is subject to the jurisdiction of another state is not immune from service of process allowable under the laws of that state.\n\nC\n\nThe immunity granted by subsection A does not extend to civil litigation based on acts unrelated to the participation in a proceeding under this act committed by an individual while present in this Commonwealth.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317292,"text":"A party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody determination is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this Commonwealth for another proceeding or purpose solely by reason of having participated, or having been physically present for the purpose of participating, in the proceeding.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1317293,"text":"A person who is subject to personal jurisdiction in this Commonwealth on a basis other than physical presence is not immune from service of process in this Commonwealth. A party present in this Commonwealth who is subject to the jurisdiction of another state is not immune from service of process allowable under the laws of that state.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1317294,"text":"The immunity granted by subsection A does not extend to civil litigation based on acts unrelated to the participation in a proceeding under this act committed by an individual while present in this Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50627,"edition_id":2,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50626,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:53","permalink":{"id":1406227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50627,"identifier":"1","token":"20\/7.1\/1","url":"\/20\/7.1\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50626,"edition_id":2,"name":"Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act","identifier":"7.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":15,"parent_id":50619,"metadata":{"child_laws":38,"child_structures":4},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:53","permalink":{"id":1406225,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50626,"identifier":"7.1","token":"20\/7.1","url":"\/20\/7.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50619,"edition_id":2,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":56,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":329,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:08","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:49","permalink":{"id":1405077,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50619,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":353549,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-146.1\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.1","metadata":false},{"id":353550,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.10","catch_line":"Taking testimony in another state","url":"\/20-146.10\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.10","metadata":false},{"id":353551,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.11","catch_line":"Cooperation between courts; preservation of records","url":"\/20-146.11\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.11","metadata":false},{"id":353560,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.2","catch_line":"Proceedings governed by other law","url":"\/20-146.2\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.2","metadata":false},{"id":353571,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.3","catch_line":"Application to Indian tribes","url":"\/20-146.3\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.3","metadata":false},{"id":353581,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.4","catch_line":"International application","url":"\/20-146.4\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.4","metadata":false},{"id":353582,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.5","catch_line":"Effect of child custody determination","url":"\/20-146.5\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.5","metadata":false},{"id":353583,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.6","catch_line":"Priority","url":"\/20-146.6\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.6","metadata":false},{"id":353584,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.7","catch_line":"Notice to persons outside state","url":"\/20-146.7\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.7","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":353585,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.8","catch_line":"Appearance and limited immunity","url":"\/20-146.8\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.8","metadata":false},{"id":353586,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.9","catch_line":"Communication between courts","url":"\/20-146.9\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":353584,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.7","catch_line":"Notice to persons outside state","url":"\/20-146.7\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.7","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},"next_section":{"id":353586,"structure_id":50627,"section_number":"20-146.9","catch_line":"Communication between courts","url":"\/20-146.9\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.9","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-146.8\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2001. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 305<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1406265,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353585,"identifier":"20-146.8","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.8","url":"\/20-146.8\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-146.8\/","token":"20\/7.1\/1\/20-146.8","dublin_core":{"Title":"Appearance and limited immunity","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-146.8","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A party<\/span> to a child custody<\/span> proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody<\/span> determination is not subject to personal jurisdiction<\/span> in this Commonwealth for another proceeding or purpose solely by reason of having participated, or having been physically present for the purpose of participating, in the proceeding. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A person who is subject to personal jurisdiction<\/span> in this Commonwealth on a basis other than physical presence is not immune from service of process<\/span> in this Commonwealth. A party<\/span> present in this Commonwealth who is subject to the jurisdiction<\/span> of another state is not immune from service of process<\/span> allowable under the laws<\/span> of that state. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The immunity granted by subsection A does not extend to civil litigation<\/span> based on acts unrelated to the participation in a proceeding under this act committed by an individual while present in this Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAPPEARANCE AND LIMITED IMMUNITY (\u00a7 20-146.8)\n\nA. A party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding,\nor a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child\ncustody determination is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this\nCommonwealth for another proceeding or purpose solely by reason of having\nparticipated, or having been physically present for the purpose of\nparticipating, in the proceeding.\n\nB. A person who is subject to personal jurisdiction in this Commonwealth on a\nbasis other than physical presence is not immune from service of process in this\nCommonwealth. A party present in this Commonwealth who is subject to the\njurisdiction of another state is not immune from service of process allowable\nunder the laws of that state.\n\nC. The immunity granted by subsection A does not extend to civil litigation\nbased on acts unrelated to the participation in a proceeding under this act\ncommitted by an individual while present in this Commonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: 2001, c. 305.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}