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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>353624</law_id><section_number>20-180</section_number><catch_line>History of family abuse</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-185</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="56" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="13" identifier="11">Uniform Collaborative Law Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Before a <span class="dictionary">prospective party</span> signs a <span class="dictionary">collaborative law participation agreement</span>, a prospective <span class="dictionary">collaborative lawyer</span> shall make reasonable inquiry into whether there exists a history of <span class="dictionary">family abuse</span> between the prospective parties. <a id="paragraph-1317491" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-180/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Throughout a <span class="dictionary">collaborative law process</span>, a <span class="dictionary">collaborative lawyer</span> shall reasonably and continuously assess whether there exists a history of <span class="dictionary">family abuse</span> between the parties. <a id="paragraph-1317492" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-180/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">collaborative lawyer</span> reasonably believes that the party the lawyer represents or the <span class="dictionary">prospective party</span> who consults the lawyer has a history of <span class="dictionary">family abuse</span> with another party or <span class="dictionary">prospective party</span>, the lawyer shall not begin or continue a <span class="dictionary">collaborative law process</span> unless (i) the party or the <span class="dictionary">prospective party</span> requests beginning or continuing the process and (ii) the <span class="dictionary">collaborative lawyer</span> reasonably believes that the safety of the party or <span class="dictionary">prospective party</span> can be protected adequately during the process. <a id="paragraph-1317493" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-180/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
