{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-182.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-182.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-182.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-182.html"}],"law_id":353626,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353626,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-182","catch_line":"Privilege against disclosure of collaborative law communication; admissibility; discovery","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.","full_text":"A\n\nSubject to &#xA7;&#xA7; 20-183 and 20-184, a collaborative law communication is privileged under subsection B, is not subject to discovery, and is not admissible in evidence.\n\nB\n\nIn a proceeding, the following privileges apply:\n\n1\n\nA party may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a collaborative law communication.\n\n2\n\nA nonparty participant may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a collaborative law communication of the nonparty participant.\n\nC\n\nEvidence or information that is otherwise admissible or subject to discovery does not become inadmissible or protected from discovery solely because of its disclosure or use in a collaborative law process.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317495,"text":"Subject to &#xA7;&#xA7; 20-183 and 20-184, a collaborative law communication is privileged under subsection B, is not subject to discovery, and is not admissible in evidence.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1317496,"text":"In a proceeding, the following privileges apply:","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"B1"},"2":{"id":1317497,"text":"A party may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a collaborative law communication.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"B1","prefix_anchor":"B1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B2"},"3":{"id":1317498,"text":"A nonparty participant may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a collaborative law communication of the nonparty participant.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B1","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":1317499,"text":"Evidence or information that is otherwise admissible or subject to discovery does not become inadmissible or protected from discovery solely because of its disclosure or use in a collaborative law process.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"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; requirements","url":"\/20-170\/","token":"20\/11\/20-170","metadata":false},{"id":353615,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-171","catch_line":"Beginning and concluding collaborative law process","url":"\/20-171\/","token":"20\/11\/20-171","metadata":false},{"id":353616,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-172","catch_line":"Proceedings pending before tribunal; status report","url":"\/20-172\/","token":"20\/11\/20-172","metadata":false},{"id":353617,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-173","catch_line":"Emergency order","url":"\/20-173\/","token":"20\/11\/20-173","metadata":false},{"id":353618,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-174","catch_line":"Affirmation of agreement by tribunal","url":"\/20-174\/","token":"20\/11\/20-174","metadata":false},{"id":353619,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-175","catch_line":"Disqualification of collaborative lawyer and lawyers in associated law firm; exception","url":"\/20-175\/","token":"20\/11\/20-175","metadata":false},{"id":353620,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-176","catch_line":"Low-income parties; exception from imputed disqualification","url":"\/20-176\/","token":"20\/11\/20-176","metadata":false},{"id":353621,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-177","catch_line":"Disclosure of information","url":"\/20-177\/","token":"20\/11\/20-177","metadata":false},{"id":353622,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-178","catch_line":"Standards of professional responsibility and mandatory reporting not affected","url":"\/20-178\/","token":"20\/11\/20-178","metadata":false},{"id":353623,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-179","catch_line":"Appropriateness of collaborative law process","url":"\/20-179\/","token":"20\/11\/20-179","metadata":false},{"id":353624,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-180","catch_line":"History of family abuse","url":"\/20-180\/","token":"20\/11\/20-180","metadata":false},{"id":353625,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-181","catch_line":"Confidentiality of collaborative law communication","url":"\/20-181\/","token":"20\/11\/20-181","metadata":false},{"id":353626,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-182","catch_line":"Privilege against disclosure of collaborative law communication; admissibility; discovery","url":"\/20-182\/","token":"20\/11\/20-182","metadata":false},{"id":353627,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-183","catch_line":"Waiver and preclusion of privilege","url":"\/20-183\/","token":"20\/11\/20-183","metadata":false},{"id":353628,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-184","catch_line":"Limits of privilege","url":"\/20-184\/","token":"20\/11\/20-184","metadata":false},{"id":353629,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-185","catch_line":"Authority of tribunal in case of noncompliance","url":"\/20-185\/","token":"20\/11\/20-185","metadata":false},{"id":353630,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-186","catch_line":"Uniformity of application and construction","url":"\/20-186\/","token":"20\/11\/20-186","metadata":false},{"id":353631,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-187","catch_line":"Relation to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act","url":"\/20-187\/","token":"20\/11\/20-187","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":353625,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-181","catch_line":"Confidentiality of collaborative law communication","url":"\/20-181\/","token":"20\/11\/20-181","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":353627,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-183","catch_line":"Waiver and preclusion of privilege","url":"\/20-183\/","token":"20\/11\/20-183","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-182\/","history_text":false,"references":[{"id":353627,"section_number":"20-183","catch_line":"Waiver and preclusion of privilege","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-183\/"},{"id":353628,"section_number":"20-184","catch_line":"Limits of privilege","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-184\/"},{"id":353629,"section_number":"20-185","catch_line":"Authority of tribunal in case of noncompliance","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-185\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":353627,"section_number":"20-183","catch_line":"Waiver and preclusion of privilege","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-183\/"},{"id":353628,"section_number":"20-184","catch_line":"Limits of privilege","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-184\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1405153,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353626,"identifier":"20-182","token":"20\/11\/20-182","url":"\/20-182\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-182\/","token":"20\/11\/20-182","dublin_core":{"Title":"Privilege against disclosure of collaborative law communication; admissibility; discovery","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-182","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> Subject to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Waiver and preclusion of privilege\" href=\"\/20-183\/\">20-183<\/a> and <a class=\"law\" title=\"Limits of privilege\" href=\"\/20-184\/\">20-184<\/a>, a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law communication<\/span> is privileged under subsection B, is not subject to <span class=\"dictionary\">discovery<\/span>, and is not <span class=\"dictionary\">admissible<\/span> in <span class=\"dictionary\">evidence<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317495\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-182\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> In a <span class=\"dictionary\">proceeding<\/span>, the following <span class=\"dictionary\">privileges<\/span> apply: <a id=\"paragraph-1317496\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-182\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B1\" class=\"indent-1\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">1.<\/span> A <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law communication<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317497\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-182\/#B1\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B2\" class=\"indent-1\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">2.<\/span> A <span class=\"dictionary\">nonparty participant<\/span> may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from disclosing, a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law communication<\/span> of the <span class=\"dictionary\">nonparty participant<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317498\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-182\/#B2\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"C\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">C.<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">Evidence<\/span> or information that is otherwise <span class=\"dictionary\">admissible<\/span> or subject to <span class=\"dictionary\">discovery<\/span> does not become inadmissible or protected from <span class=\"dictionary\">discovery<\/span> solely because of its disclosure or use in a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law process<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317499\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-182\/#C\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPRIVILEGE AGAINST DISCLOSURE OF COLLABORATIVE LAW COMMUNICATION; ADMISSIBILITY;\nDISCOVERY (\u00a7 20-182)\n\nA. Subject to &#xA7;&#xA7; 20-183 and 20-184, a collaborative law communication\nis privileged under subsection B, is not subject to discovery, and is not\nadmissible in evidence.\n\nB. In a proceeding, the following privileges apply:\n\n   1. A party may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other person from\n   disclosing, a collaborative law communication.\n\n   2. A nonparty participant may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other\n   person from disclosing, a collaborative law communication of the nonparty\n   participant.\n\nC. Evidence or information that is otherwise admissible or subject to discovery\ndoes not become inadmissible or protected from discovery solely because of its\ndisclosure or use in a collaborative law process.\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"}}