{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/8.01-15.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/8.01-15.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/8.01-15.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/8.01-15.1.html"}],"law_id":376827,"edition_id":2,"section_id":376827,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15.1","catch_line":"Anonymous plaintiff; motion for identification; factors to be considered by court","history":"2003, c. 572.","full_text":"A\n\nIn any legal proceeding commenced anonymously, any party may move for an order concerning the propriety of anonymous participation in the proceeding. The trial court may allow maintenance of the proceeding under a pseudonym if the anonymous litigant discharges the burden of showing special circumstances such that the need for anonymity outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the party’s identity and outweighs any prejudice to any other party. The court may consider whether the requested anonymity is intended merely to avoid the annoyance and criticism that may attend any litigation or is to preserve privacy in a sensitive and highly personal matter; whether identification poses a risk of retaliatory physical or mental harm to the requesting party or to innocent nonparties; the ages of the persons whose privacy interests are sought to be protected; whether the action is against a governmental or private party; and the risk of unfairness to other parties if anonymity is maintained.\n\nB\n\nIf the court initially permits a party to proceed anonymously, the issue of the propriety of continued anonymous participation in the proceedings may be raised at any stage of the litigation when circumstances warrant a reconsideration of the issue. In all cases, all parties have the right to know the true identities of all other parties under such provisions of confidentiality as the court may deem appropriate.\n\nC\n\nIf the court orders that the anonymous litigant be identified, the pleadings and any relevant dockets shall be reformed to reflect the party’s true name, and the identification shall be deemed to relate back to the date of filing of the proceeding by the anonymous party.\n\nD\n\nIn any legal proceeding in which a party is proceeding anonymously, the court shall enter appropriate orders to afford all parties the rights, procedures and discovery to which they are otherwise entitled.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1406824,"text":"In any legal proceeding commenced anonymously, any party may move for an order concerning the propriety of anonymous participation in the proceeding. The trial court may allow maintenance of the proceeding under a pseudonym if the anonymous litigant discharges the burden of showing special circumstances such that the need for anonymity outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the party’s identity and outweighs any prejudice to any other party. The court may consider whether the requested anonymity is intended merely to avoid the annoyance and criticism that may attend any litigation or is to preserve privacy in a sensitive and highly personal matter; whether identification poses a risk of retaliatory physical or mental harm to the requesting party or to innocent nonparties; the ages of the persons whose privacy interests are sought to be protected; whether the action is against a governmental or private party; and the risk of unfairness to other parties if anonymity is maintained.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1406825,"text":"If the court initially permits a party to proceed anonymously, the issue of the propriety of continued anonymous participation in the proceedings may be raised at any stage of the litigation when circumstances warrant a reconsideration of the issue. In all cases, all parties have the right to know the true identities of all other parties under such provisions of confidentiality as the court may deem appropriate.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1406826,"text":"If the court orders that the anonymous litigant be identified, the pleadings and any relevant dockets shall be reformed to reflect the party’s true name, and the identification shall be deemed to relate back to the date of filing of the proceeding by the anonymous party.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":1406827,"text":"In any legal proceeding in which a party is proceeding anonymously, the court shall enter appropriate orders to afford all parties the rights, procedures and discovery to which they are otherwise entitled.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":53561,"edition_id":2,"name":"Special Provisions","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":53560,"metadata":{"child_laws":10,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:18:32","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:10","permalink":{"id":1505481,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53561,"identifier":"2","token":"8.01\/2\/2","url":"\/8.01\/2\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53560,"edition_id":2,"name":"Parties","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":53558,"metadata":{"child_laws":26,"child_structures":4},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:18:32","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:10","permalink":{"id":1505453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53560,"identifier":"2","token":"8.01\/2","url":"\/8.01\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53558,"edition_id":2,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":12,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1095,"child_structures":142},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:18:32","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:09","permalink":{"id":1504031,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53558,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":376758,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-10","catch_line":"Joinder of tenants in common","url":"\/8.01-10\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-10","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. John Booth-El v. Eugene M. Nuth, Warden J. Joseph Curran, .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"01-8, 01-10","citation":"288 F.3d 571","date":"2002-03-25","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/777475\/john-booth-el-v-eugene-m-nuth-warden-j-joseph-curran-jr-john\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with directions to dismiss the petition by .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"1":{"name":"Yukon Pocahontas Coal Co. v. Island Creek Coal Co.","case_number":"Civ.A. 1:05CV00098","citation":"428 F. Supp. 2d 490","date":"2006-03-30","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2525059\/yukon-pocahontas-coal-co-v-island-creek-coal-co\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 428 F.Supp.2d 490 (2006) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"}}}},{"id":376769,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-11","catch_line":"Proceedings on writing binding deceased person","url":"\/8.01-11\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-11","metadata":false},{"id":376780,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-12","catch_line":"Suit by beneficial owner when legal title in another","url":"\/8.01-12\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-12","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"In re Wyche","case_number":"Nos. 08-73778-SCS, 09-70602-SCS","citation":"425 B.R. 779","date":"2010-01-29","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/8521898\/in-re-wyche\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. MEMORANDUM OPINION .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia"},"1":{"name":"DiFelice v. US Airways, Inc.","case_number":"1:04CV889","citation":"397 F. Supp. 2d 735","date":"2005-09-27","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2515136\/difelice-v-us-airways-inc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 397 F.Supp.2d 735 (2005) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"2":{"name":"In Re Wyche","case_number":"16-32915","citation":"425 B.R. 779","date":"2010-01-29","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1883298\/in-re-wyche\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 425 B.R. 779 (2010) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia"},"3":{"name":"RGR, LLC v. Settle","case_number":"130633","citation":null,"date":"2014-10-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2748024\/rgr-llc-v-settle\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Present: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"RGR, LLC v. Settle","case_number":"130633","citation":null,"date":"2014-10-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2747274\/rgr-llc-v-settle\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Present: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"5":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. 33 Fair empl.prac.cas. 195, 32 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 33,856 .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"82-1831","citation":"720 F.2d 326","date":"1983-10-14","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/426387\/33-fair-emplpraccas-195-32-empl-prac-dec-p-33856-paul-lilly\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 720 F.2d 326 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"}}}},{"id":376791,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-13","catch_line":"Assignee or beneficial owner may sue in own name; certain discounts allowed","url":"\/8.01-13\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-13","metadata":false},{"id":376816,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-14","catch_line":"Suit against assignor","url":"\/8.01-14\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-14","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Terry Ann Chambers v. Iredell County Board of Education, a .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"14243_1","citation":"423 F.2d 613","date":"1970-02-27","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/289076\/terry-ann-chambers-v-iredell-county-board-of-education-a-public-body\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 423 F.2d 613 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"}}}},{"id":376829,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15","catch_line":"Suits by and against unincorporated associations or orders","url":"\/8.01-15\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15","metadata":false},{"id":376827,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15.1","catch_line":"Anonymous plaintiff; motion for identification; factors to be considered by court","url":"\/8.01-15.1\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15.1","metadata":false},{"id":376828,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15.2","catch_line":"Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; default judgment; appointment of counsel","url":"\/8.01-15.2\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15.2","metadata":false},{"id":377825,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-8","catch_line":"How minors may sue","url":"\/8.01-8\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-8","metadata":false},{"id":377840,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-9","catch_line":"Guardian ad litem for persons under disability; when guardian ad litem need not be appointed for person under disability","url":"\/8.01-9\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":376829,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15","catch_line":"Suits by and against unincorporated associations or orders","url":"\/8.01-15\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":376828,"structure_id":53561,"section_number":"8.01-15.2","catch_line":"Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; default judgment; appointment of counsel","url":"\/8.01-15.2\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-15.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2003. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 572<\/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":1505507,"object_type":"law","relational_id":376827,"identifier":"8.01-15.1","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15.1","url":"\/8.01-15.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-15.1\/","token":"8.01\/2\/2\/8.01-15.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Anonymous plaintiff; motion for identification; factors to be considered by court","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-15.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> In any legal proceeding commenced anonymously, any party<\/span> may move for an order<\/span> concerning the propriety of anonymous participation in the proceeding. The trial<\/span> court<\/span> may allow maintenance of the proceeding under a pseudonym if the anonymous litigant<\/span> discharges the burden of showing special circumstances such that the need for anonymity outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the party<\/span>’s identity and outweighs any prejudice to any other party<\/span>. The court<\/span> may consider whether the requested anonymity is intended merely to avoid the annoyance and criticism that may attend any litigation<\/span> or is to preserve privacy in a sensitive and highly personal matter; whether identification poses a risk of retaliatory physical or mental harm to the requesting party<\/span> or to innocent nonparties; the ages of the persons<\/span> whose privacy interests are sought to be protected; whether the action<\/span> is against a governmental or private party<\/span>; and the risk of unfairness to other parties if anonymity is maintained. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If the court<\/span> initially permits a party<\/span> to proceed anonymously, the issue<\/span> of the propriety of continued anonymous participation in the proceedings may be raised at any stage of the litigation<\/span> when circumstances warrant a reconsideration of the issue<\/span>. In all cases, all parties have the right to know the true identities of all other parties under such provisions of confidentiality as the court<\/span> may deem appropriate. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> If the court orders<\/span> that the anonymous litigant<\/span> be identified, the pleadings<\/span> and any relevant dockets<\/span> shall be reformed to reflect the party<\/span>’s true name, and the identification shall be deemed to relate back to the date of filing of the proceeding by the anonymous party<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> In any legal proceeding in which a party<\/span> is proceeding anonymously, the court shall enter appropriate orders to afford all parties the rights, procedures and discovery<\/span> to which they are otherwise entitled. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nANONYMOUS PLAINTIFF; MOTION FOR IDENTIFICATION; FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BY\nCOURT (\u00a7 8.01-15.1)\n\nA. In any legal proceeding commenced anonymously, any party may move for an\norder concerning the propriety of anonymous participation in the proceeding. The\ntrial court may allow maintenance of the proceeding under a pseudonym if the\nanonymous litigant discharges the burden of showing special circumstances such\nthat the need for anonymity outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the\nparty’s identity and outweighs any prejudice to any other party. The court\nmay consider whether the requested anonymity is intended merely to avoid the\nannoyance and criticism that may attend any litigation or is to preserve privacy\nin a sensitive and highly personal matter; whether identification poses a risk\nof retaliatory physical or mental harm to the requesting party or to innocent\nnonparties; the ages of the persons whose privacy interests are sought to be\nprotected; whether the action is against a governmental or private party; and\nthe risk of unfairness to other parties if anonymity is maintained.\n\nB. If the court initially permits a party to proceed anonymously, the issue of\nthe propriety of continued anonymous participation in the proceedings may be\nraised at any stage of the litigation when circumstances warrant a\nreconsideration of the issue. In all cases, all parties have the right to know\nthe true identities of all other parties under such provisions of\nconfidentiality as the court may deem appropriate.\n\nC. If the court orders that the anonymous litigant be identified, the pleadings\nand any relevant dockets shall be reformed to reflect the party’s true\nname, and the identification shall be deemed to relate back to the date of\nfiling of the proceeding by the anonymous party.\n\nD. In any legal proceeding in which a party is proceeding anonymously, the court\nshall enter appropriate orders to afford all parties the rights, procedures and\ndiscovery to which they are otherwise entitled.\n\nHISTORY: 2003, c. 572.","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"}}