{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/55.1-203.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/55.1-203.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/55.1-203.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/55.1-203.html"}],"law_id":369522,"edition_id":2,"section_id":369522,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-203","catch_line":"Spouse’s right of entry into land not barred by certain judgments; when a spouse may defend his right in lands that are his inheritance","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 5441; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-38; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"A spouse shall not be barred of his right of entry into land by a judgment in the other spouse’s lifetime by default or collusion, but after the other spouse’s death may prosecute the same by any proper action; or, in the lifetime of the other spouse, if the other spouse will not appear or, against the spouse’s consent, will render the spouse’s lands during the coverture in an action against both spouses for lands that are the spouse’s inheritance, the spouse may come at any time before judgment and defend his right.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1378351,"text":"A spouse shall not be barred of his right of entry into land by a judgment in the other spouse’s lifetime by default or collusion, but after the other spouse’s death may prosecute the same by any proper action; or, in the lifetime of the other spouse, if the other spouse will not appear or, against the spouse’s consent, will render the spouse’s lands during the coverture in an action against both spouses for lands that are the spouse’s inheritance, the spouse may come at any time before judgment and defend his right.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52640,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property Rights of Married Persons","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52601,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:02:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:21","permalink":{"id":1471941,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52640,"identifier":"2","token":"55.1\/I\/2","url":"\/55.1\/I\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52601,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property Conveyances","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52600,"metadata":{"child_laws":142,"child_structures":14},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:20","permalink":{"id":1471773,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52601,"identifier":"I","token":"55.1\/I","url":"\/55.1\/I\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52600,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":120,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":875,"child_structures":101},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:20","permalink":{"id":1471771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52600,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":369498,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-200","catch_line":"How married persons may acquire and dispose of property","url":"\/55.1-200\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-200","metadata":false},{"id":369509,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-201","catch_line":"Contracts of, and actions by and against, married persons","url":"\/55.1-201\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-201","metadata":false},{"id":369520,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-202","catch_line":"Spouse not responsible for other spouse's contracts, etc.; mutual liability for necessaries; exception; responsibility of personal representative","url":"\/55.1-202\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-202","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":369522,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-203","catch_line":"Spouse's right of entry into land not barred by certain judgments; when a spouse may defend his right in lands that are his inheritance","url":"\/55.1-203\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-203","metadata":false},{"id":369523,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-204","catch_line":"Rights of spouse not affected by other spouse's acts only","url":"\/55.1-204\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-204","metadata":false},{"id":369524,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-205","catch_line":"Conveyance from married persons; effect on right of either spouse","url":"\/55.1-205\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-205","metadata":false},{"id":369525,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-206","catch_line":"How infant spouse may release interests in spouse's property","url":"\/55.1-206\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-206","metadata":false},{"id":369526,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-207","catch_line":"Appointment of attorney-in-fact by married person; effect of writing executed by such attorney","url":"\/55.1-207\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-207","metadata":false},{"id":369527,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-208","catch_line":"How estate of a married person to pass at death","url":"\/55.1-208\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-208","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":369528,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-209","catch_line":"Equitable separate estates abolished","url":"\/55.1-209\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-209","metadata":false},{"id":369529,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-210","catch_line":"Tangible personal property","url":"\/55.1-210\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-210","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":369520,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-202","catch_line":"Spouse not responsible for other spouse's contracts, etc.; mutual liability for necessaries; exception; responsibility of personal representative","url":"\/55.1-202\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-202","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},"next_section":{"id":369523,"structure_id":52640,"section_number":"55.1-204","catch_line":"Rights of spouse not affected by other spouse's acts only","url":"\/55.1-204\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-204","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-203\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1471955,"object_type":"law","relational_id":369522,"identifier":"55.1-203","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-203","url":"\/55.1-203\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-203\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-203","dublin_core":{"Title":"Spouse’s right of entry into land not barred by certain judgments; when a spouse may defend his right in lands that are his inheritance","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-203","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A spouse shall not be barred of his right of entry into land by a judgment<\/span> in the other spouse’s lifetime by default<\/span> or collusion, but after the other spouse’s death may prosecute<\/span> the same by any proper action; or, in the lifetime of the other spouse, if the other spouse will not appear or, against the spouse’s consent, will render the spouse’s lands during the coverture in an action against both spouses for lands that are the spouse’s inheritance, the spouse may come at any time before judgment<\/span> and defend his right.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSPOUSE’S RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO LAND NOT BARRED BY CERTAIN JUDGMENTS; WHEN A\nSPOUSE MAY DEFEND HIS RIGHT IN LANDS THAT ARE HIS INHERITANCE (\u00a7 55.1-203)\n\nA spouse shall not be barred of his right of entry into land by a judgment in\nthe other spouse’s lifetime by default or collusion, but after the other\nspouse’s death may prosecute the same by any proper action; or, in the\nlifetime of the other spouse, if the other spouse will not appear or, against\nthe spouse’s consent, will render the spouse’s lands during the\ncoverture in an action against both spouses for lands that are the\nspouse’s inheritance, the spouse may come at any time before judgment and\ndefend his right.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 5441; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-38; 2019, c. 712.","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"}}