{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-185.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-185.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-185.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-185.html"}],"law_id":353629,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353629,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-185","catch_line":"Authority of tribunal in case of noncompliance","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.","full_text":"A\n\nIf a collaborative law participation agreement fails to meet the requirements of &#xA7; 20-170, or a lawyer fails to comply with &#xA7; 20-179 or 20-180, a tribunal may nevertheless find that the parties intended to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement if they (i) signed a record indicating an intention to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement and (ii) reasonably believed they were participating in a collaborative law process.\n\nB\n\nIf a tribunal makes the findings specified in subsection A, and the interests of justice require, the tribunal may (i) enforce an agreement evidenced by a record resulting from the collaborative law process in which the parties participated, (ii) apply the disqualification provisions of &#xA7; 20-175, and (iii) apply a privilege under &#xA7; 20-182.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317514,"text":"If a collaborative law participation agreement fails to meet the requirements of &#xA7; 20-170, or a lawyer fails to comply with &#xA7; 20-179 or 20-180, a tribunal may nevertheless find that the parties intended to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement if they (i) signed a record indicating an intention to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement and (ii) reasonably believed they were participating in a collaborative law process.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1317515,"text":"If a tribunal makes the findings specified in subsection A, and the interests of justice require, the tribunal may (i) enforce an agreement evidenced by a record resulting from the collaborative law process in which the parties participated, (ii) apply the disqualification provisions of &#xA7; 20-175, and (iii) apply a privilege under &#xA7; 20-182.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"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":353628,"structure_id":50634,"section_number":"20-184","catch_line":"Limits of privilege","url":"\/20-184\/","token":"20\/11\/20-184","metadata":false},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-185\/","history_text":false,"references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":353614,"section_number":"20-170","catch_line":"Collaborative law participation agreement; requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-170\/"},{"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\/"},{"id":353624,"section_number":"20-180","catch_line":"History of family abuse","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-180\/"},{"id":353626,"section_number":"20-182","catch_line":"Privilege against disclosure of collaborative law communication; admissibility; discovery","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-182\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1405165,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353629,"identifier":"20-185","token":"20\/11\/20-185","url":"\/20-185\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-185\/","token":"20\/11\/20-185","dublin_core":{"Title":"Authority of tribunal in case of noncompliance","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-185","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> If a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law participation agreement<\/span> fails to meet the requirements of &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Collaborative law participation agreement; requirements\" href=\"\/20-170\/\">20-170<\/a>, or a lawyer fails to comply with &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Appropriateness of collaborative law process\" href=\"\/20-179\/\">20-179<\/a> or <a class=\"law\" title=\"History of family abuse\" href=\"\/20-180\/\">20-180<\/a>, a <span class=\"dictionary\">tribunal<\/span> may nevertheless find that the parties intended to enter into a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law participation agreement<\/span> if they (i) signed a <span class=\"dictionary\">record<\/span> indicating an intention to enter into a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law participation agreement<\/span> and (ii) reasonably believed they were participating in a <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law process<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317514\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-185\/#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> If a <span class=\"dictionary\">tribunal<\/span> makes the <span class=\"dictionary\">findings<\/span> specified in subsection A, and the interests of justice require, the <span class=\"dictionary\">tribunal<\/span> may (i) enforce an agreement evidenced by a <span class=\"dictionary\">record<\/span> resulting from the <span class=\"dictionary\">collaborative law process<\/span> in which the parties participated, (ii) apply the disqualification provisions of &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Disqualification of collaborative lawyer and lawyers in associated law firm; exception\" href=\"\/20-175\/\">20-175<\/a>, and (iii) apply a <span class=\"dictionary\">privilege<\/span> under &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Privilege against disclosure of collaborative law communication; admissibility; discovery\" href=\"\/20-182\/\">20-182<\/a>. <a id=\"paragraph-1317515\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/20-185\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAUTHORITY OF TRIBUNAL IN CASE OF NONCOMPLIANCE (\u00a7 20-185)\n\nA. If a collaborative law participation agreement fails to meet the requirements\nof &#xA7; 20-170, or a lawyer fails to comply with &#xA7; 20-179 or 20-180, a\ntribunal may nevertheless find that the parties intended to enter into a\ncollaborative law participation agreement if they (i) signed a record indicating\nan intention to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement and (ii)\nreasonably believed they were participating in a collaborative law process.\n\nB. If a tribunal makes the findings specified in subsection A, and the interests\nof justice require, the tribunal may (i) enforce an agreement evidenced by a\nrecord resulting from the collaborative law process in which the parties\nparticipated, (ii) apply the disqualification provisions of &#xA7; 20-175, and\n(iii) apply a privilege under &#xA7; 20-182.\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"}}