{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-176.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-176.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-176.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-176.html"}],"law_id":353620,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353620,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-176","catch_line":"Low-income parties; exception from imputed disqualification","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.","full_text":"A\n\nThe disqualification provisions of § 20-175 apply to a collaborative lawyer representing a party with or without fee.\n\nB\n\nAfter a collaborative law process concludes, another lawyer in a law firm with which a collaborative lawyer disqualified pursuant to \u00a7 20-175 is associated may represent a party without fee in the collaborative matter or a matter related to such collaborative matter if:\n\n1\n\nThe party has an annual income that qualifies the party for free legal representation under the criteria established by the law firm for free legal representation;\n\n2\n\nThe collaborative law participation agreement so provides for such subsequent representation; and\n\n3\n\nThe collaborative lawyer is isolated from any participation in the collaborative matter or a matter related to the collaborative matter through procedures within the law firm that are reasonably calculated to isolate the collaborative lawyer from such participation.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317480,"text":"The disqualification provisions of § 20-175 apply to a collaborative lawyer representing a party with or without fee.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1317481,"text":"After a collaborative law process concludes, another lawyer in a law firm with which a collaborative lawyer disqualified pursuant to \u00a7 20-175 is associated may represent a party without fee in the collaborative matter or a matter related to such collaborative matter if:","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"B1"},"2":{"id":1317482,"text":"The party has an annual income that qualifies the party for free legal representation under the criteria established by the law firm for free legal representation;","type":"section","prefixes":["B","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"B1","prefix_anchor":"B1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B2"},"3":{"id":1317483,"text":"The collaborative law participation agreement so provides for such subsequent representation; and","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B1","next_prefix":"B3"},"4":{"id":1317484,"text":"The collaborative lawyer is isolated from any participation in the collaborative matter or a matter related to the collaborative matter through procedures within the law firm that are reasonably calculated to isolate the collaborative lawyer from such participation.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"B3","prefix_anchor":"B3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B2"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50634,"edition_id":2,"name":"Uniform Collaborative Law Act","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":13,"parent_id":50619,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:53","permalink":{"id":1405095,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50634,"identifier":"11","token":"20\/11","url":"\/20\/11\/","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":353611,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-168","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-168\/","token":"20\/11\/20-168","metadata":false},{"id":353612,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-169","catch_line":"Applicability","url":"\/20-169\/","token":"20\/11\/20-169","metadata":false},{"id":353614,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-170","catch_line":"Collaborative law participation agreement; 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exception","url":"\/20-175\/","token":"20\/11\/20-175","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":353621,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-177","catch_line":"Disclosure of information","url":"\/20-177\/","token":"20\/11\/20-177","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-176\/","history_text":false,"references":[{"id":353619,"section_number":"20-175","catch_line":"Disqualification of collaborative lawyer and lawyers in associated law firm; exception","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-175\/"},{"id":353623,"section_number":"20-179","catch_line":"Appropriateness of collaborative law process","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-179\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":353619,"section_number":"20-175","catch_line":"Disqualification of collaborative lawyer and lawyers in associated law firm; exception","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-175\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1405129,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353620,"identifier":"20-176","token":"20\/11\/20-176","url":"\/20-176\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-176\/","token":"20\/11\/20-176","dublin_core":{"Title":"Low-income parties; exception from imputed disqualification","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-176","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The disqualification provisions of § 20-175<\/a> apply to a collaborative lawyer<\/span> representing a party<\/span> with or without fee. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> After a collaborative law process<\/span> concludes, another lawyer in a law firm<\/span> with which a collaborative lawyer<\/span> disqualified pursuant to \u00a7 20-175<\/a> is associated may represent a party<\/span> without fee in the collaborative matter<\/span> or a matter related to such collaborative matter<\/span> if: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The party<\/span> has an annual income that qualifies the party<\/span> for free legal representation under the criteria established by the law firm<\/span> for free legal representation; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The collaborative law participation agreement<\/span> so provides for such subsequent representation; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The collaborative lawyer<\/span> is isolated from any participation in the collaborative matter<\/span> or a matter related to the collaborative matter<\/span> through procedures within the law firm<\/span> that are reasonably calculated to isolate the collaborative lawyer<\/span> from such participation. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLOW-INCOME PARTIES; EXCEPTION FROM IMPUTED DISQUALIFICATION (\u00a7 20-176)\n\nA. The disqualification provisions of § 20-175 apply to a collaborative\nlawyer representing a party with or without fee.\n\nB. After a collaborative law process concludes, another lawyer in a law firm\nwith which a collaborative lawyer disqualified pursuant to \u00a7 20-175 is\nassociated may represent a party without fee in the collaborative matter or a\nmatter related to such collaborative matter if:\n\n 1. The party has an annual income that qualifies the party for free legal\n representation under the criteria established by the law firm for free legal\n representation;\n\n 2. The collaborative law participation agreement so provides for such\n subsequent representation; and\n\n 3. The collaborative lawyer is isolated from any participation in the\n collaborative matter or a matter related to the collaborative matter through\n procedures within the law firm that are reasonably calculated to isolate the\n collaborative lawyer from such participation.\n\nHISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.","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"}}