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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>363945</law_id><section_number>44-97.1</section_number><catch_line>Continuance or time for filing pleading, etc., where party or attorney is on active duty</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="97" identifier="44">Military and Emergency Laws</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Military Laws of Virginia</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="12" identifier="10">Privileges of United States Reserve, National Guard, and Naval Militia</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">party</span> to or attorney in an action or proceeding in any <span class="dictionary">court</span>, including the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia, commission, or other tribunal having judicial or quasi-judicial powers or <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> who has been ordered to participate in state active duty, annual active duty for training, or temporary active duty in the reserve forces of any of the armed services of the United States or National Guard shall be entitled to a <span class="dictionary">continuance</span>, not to exceed three weeks, as a matter of right during the period of such duty, provided the <span class="dictionary">continuance</span> is requested at least four days prior to the first day for which the <span class="dictionary">continuance</span> is sought. The period required by any <span class="dictionary">statute</span> or rule for the filing of any pleading or the performance of any act relating thereto shall be extended for seven days after such active duty, provided a request is made four days prior to the date the pleading or act is due. The failure of any <span class="dictionary">court</span>, commission, or other tribunal to allow such <span class="dictionary">continuance</span> when requested to do so or the returning of such filing or act during the period hereinabove specified shall constitute reversible error. This section shall not prevent the granting of temporary injunctive relief or the dissolution or extension of a temporary <span class="dictionary">injunction</span>, but the right to such relief shall remain in the sound discretion of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> or other such tribunal.</p></section></text><history>1981, c. 288; 1990, c. 790; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2015, c. 221.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
