Richmond City Circuit Court, Virginia Filing Rules

The moving party should prepare a sketch order and either file it with the motion in advance or bring it to the scheduled motions hearing.

If the opposing self-represented parties' email addresses are unknown and absent from the information sheet, the scheduling litigant must obtain their available dates before contacting the judicial assistant.

The written date-setting documents may be filed only after the court's docketing procedures have selected the date.

Briefs must be served on counsel and/or unrepresented parties early enough for the issues to be considered before the hearing.

The proposed jury-instruction copy submitted to the court must be a hard copy.

A party should request a continuance as soon as practicable by filing a motion and sketch order with the clerk’s office; both documents should identify the requester, state whether the other parties object or concur, give the good cause, and state the number of prior continuances.

The clerk’s office accepts filings in person, by first-class mail, or through the e-filing system.

Courtesy copies will be considered only if the document has been filed in writing with the clerk’s office and proper notice has been given to all parties.

The parties are encouraged to try to resolve disputes about the sufficiency of discovery responses themselves and should docket a hearing if they cannot resolve the dispute.

Civil-case briefs may not exceed 20 double-spaced pages unless the Court grants leave.