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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>353629</law_id><section_number>20-185</section_number><catch_line>Authority of tribunal in case of noncompliance</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><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> 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"/></a></p></section>
						<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"/></a></p></section></text><history>2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 346.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
