{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-278.19.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-278.19.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-278.19.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-278.19.html"}],"law_id":74062,"edition_id":1,"section_id":74062,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.19","catch_line":"Attorney fees","history":"1991, c. 534; 2020, c. 185.","full_text":"In any matter properly before the court, the court may award attorney fees and costs on behalf of any party as the court deems appropriate based on the relative financial ability of the parties and any other relevant factors to attain equity.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":266373,"text":"In any matter properly before the court, the court may award attorney fees and costs on behalf of any party as the court deems appropriate based on the relative financial ability of the parties and any other relevant factors to attain equity.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13006,"edition_id":1,"name":"Disposition","identifier":"9","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12701,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","permalink":{"id":161781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13006,"identifier":"9","token":"16.1\/11\/9","url":"\/16.1\/11\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12701,"edition_id":1,"name":"Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12700,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":160945,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12701,"identifier":"11","token":"16.1\/11","url":"\/16.1\/11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12700,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts Not of Record","identifier":"16.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":160919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12700,"identifier":"16.1","token":"16.1","url":"\/16.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":61839,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278","catch_line":"Cooperation of certain agencies, officials, institutions and associations","url":"\/16.1-278\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278","metadata":false},{"id":71042,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/16.1-278.1\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.1","metadata":false},{"id":82666,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.10","catch_line":"Traffic infractions","url":"\/16.1-278.10\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.10","metadata":false},{"id":81073,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.11","catch_line":"Mental illness and intellectual disability","url":"\/16.1-278.11\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.11","metadata":false},{"id":63604,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.12","catch_line":"When judicial consent in lieu of parental consent authorized","url":"\/16.1-278.12\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.12","metadata":false},{"id":65268,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.13","catch_line":"Work permits; 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approval of placement; semiannual review","url":"\/16.1-286\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-286","metadata":false},{"id":78593,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-287","catch_line":"Transfer of information upon commitment; information to be furnished by and to local school boards","url":"\/16.1-287\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-287","metadata":false},{"id":86549,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-288","catch_line":"Protection of religious affiliations","url":"\/16.1-288\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-288","metadata":false},{"id":70444,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-289","catch_line":"Review of order of commitment","url":"\/16.1-289\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-289","metadata":false},{"id":67111,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-289.1","catch_line":"Motions to reconsider orders for participation in continuing programs","url":"\/16.1-289.1\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-289.1","metadata":false},{"id":65314,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-290","catch_line":"Support of committed juvenile; support from estate of juvenile","url":"\/16.1-290\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-290","metadata":false},{"id":54758,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-290.1","catch_line":"Payment for court-ordered counseling, treatment or programs","url":"\/16.1-290.1\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-290.1","metadata":false},{"id":66947,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-290.2","catch_line":"Certain information to be made available to certain defendants found not guilty","url":"\/16.1-290.2\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-290.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59856,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.18","catch_line":"Money judgments","url":"\/16.1-278.18\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.18","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59979,"structure_id":13006,"section_number":"16.1-278.2","catch_line":"Abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care","url":"\/16.1-278.2\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-278.19\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 534 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. Unfortunately, the 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2020, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0185\">185<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62708,"section_number":"16.1-278.5","catch_line":"Children in need of supervision","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-278.5\/"},{"id":63958,"section_number":"16.1-292","catch_line":"Violation of court order by any person","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-292\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":161831,"object_type":"law","relational_id":74062,"identifier":"16.1-278.19","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.19","url":"\/16.1-278.19\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-278.19\/","token":"16.1\/11\/9\/16.1-278.19","dublin_core":{"Title":"Attorney fees","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-278.19","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>In any matter properly before <span class=\"dictionary\">the court<\/span>, <span class=\"dictionary\">the court<\/span> may award attorney fees and costs on behalf of any <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> as <span class=\"dictionary\">the court<\/span> deems appropriate based on the relative financial ability of the parties and any other relevant factors to attain <span class=\"dictionary\">equity<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nATTORNEY FEES (\u00a7 16.1-278.19)\n\nIn any matter properly before the court, the court may award attorney fees and\ncosts on behalf of any party as the court deems appropriate based on the\nrelative financial ability of the parties and any other relevant factors to\nattain equity.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 534; 2020, c. 185.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}