{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-267.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-267.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-267.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-267.1.html"}],"law_id":71276,"edition_id":1,"section_id":71276,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.1","catch_line":"Standards governing consolidation, etc., and transfer","history":"1995, c. 555; 2023, c. 563.","full_text":"On motion of any party, a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating or transferring civil actions as provided in this chapter upon finding that:\n\n1\n\nSeparate civil actions brought by six or more plaintiffs involve common questions of law or fact and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence or series of transactions or occurrences;2\n\nThe common questions of law or fact predominate and are significant to the actions; and3\n\nThe order (i) will promote the ends of justice and the just and efficient conduct and disposition of the actions, and (ii) is consistent with each party’s right to due process of law, and (iii) does not prejudice each individual party’s right to a fair and impartial resolution of each action.\n\t\t\tFactors to be considered by the court include, but are not limited to, (i) the nature of the common questions of law or fact; (ii) the convenience of the parties, witnesses and counsel; (iii) the relative stages of the actions and the work of counsel; (iv) the efficient utilization of judicial facilities and personnel; (v) the calendar of the courts; (vi) the likelihood and disadvantages of duplicative and inconsistent rulings, orders or judgments; (vii) the likelihood of prompt settlement of the actions without the entry of the order; and (viii) as to joint trials by jury, the likelihood of prejudice or confusion.\n\t\t\tThe court may organize and manage the combined litigation and enter further orders consistent with the right of each party to a fair trial as may be appropriate to avoid unnecessary costs, duplicative litigation or delay and to assure fair and efficient conduct and resolution of the litigation, including orders that organize the parties into groups with like interest; appoint counsel to have lead responsibility for certain matters; allocate costs and attorney fees to separate issues into common questions that require treatment on a consolidated basis and individual cases that do not; and stay discovery on the issues that are not consolidated.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":256885,"text":"On motion of any party, a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating or transferring civil actions as provided in this chapter upon finding that:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":256886,"text":"Separate civil actions brought by six or more plaintiffs involve common questions of law or fact and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence or series of transactions or occurrences;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":256887,"text":"The common questions of law or fact predominate and are significant to the actions; and","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":256888,"text":"The order (i) will promote the ends of justice and the just and efficient conduct and disposition of the actions, and (ii) is consistent with each party’s right to due process of law, and (iii) does not prejudice each individual party’s right to a fair and impartial resolution of each action.\n\t\t\tFactors to be considered by the court include, but are not limited to, (i) the nature of the common questions of law or fact; (ii) the convenience of the parties, witnesses and counsel; (iii) the relative stages of the actions and the work of counsel; (iv) the efficient utilization of judicial facilities and personnel; (v) the calendar of the courts; (vi) the likelihood and disadvantages of duplicative and inconsistent rulings, orders or judgments; (vii) the likelihood of prompt settlement of the actions without the entry of the order; and (viii) as to joint trials by jury, the likelihood of prejudice or confusion.\n\t\t\tThe court may organize and manage the combined litigation and enter further orders consistent with the right of each party to a fair trial as may be appropriate to avoid unnecessary costs, duplicative litigation or delay and to assure fair and efficient conduct and resolution of the litigation, including orders that organize the parties into groups with like interest; appoint counsel to have lead responsibility for certain matters; allocate costs and attorney fees to separate issues into common questions that require treatment on a consolidated basis and individual cases that do not; and stay discovery on the issues that are not consolidated.","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14609,"edition_id":1,"name":"Multiple Claimant Litigation Act","identifier":"5.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:52","permalink":{"id":281333,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14609,"identifier":"5.1","token":"8.01\/5.1","url":"\/8.01\/5.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12747,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":277029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12747,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":71276,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.1","catch_line":"Standards governing consolidation, etc., and transfer","url":"\/8.01-267.1\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.1","metadata":false},{"id":56130,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.2","catch_line":"When actions pending in same court","url":"\/8.01-267.2\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.2","metadata":false},{"id":76108,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.3","catch_line":"Consolidation and other combined proceedings","url":"\/8.01-267.3\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.3","metadata":false},{"id":68984,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.4","catch_line":"Transfer","url":"\/8.01-267.4\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.4","metadata":false},{"id":58451,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.5","catch_line":"Joinder and severance","url":"\/8.01-267.5\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.5","metadata":false},{"id":57826,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.6","catch_line":"Separate trials; special interrogatories","url":"\/8.01-267.6\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.6","metadata":false},{"id":65383,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.7","catch_line":"Later-filed actions","url":"\/8.01-267.7\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.7","metadata":false},{"id":59144,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.8","catch_line":"Interlocutory appeal","url":"\/8.01-267.8\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.8","metadata":false},{"id":86836,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.9","catch_line":"Effect on other law","url":"\/8.01-267.9\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.9","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":56130,"structure_id":14609,"section_number":"8.01-267.2","catch_line":"When actions pending in same court","url":"\/8.01-267.2\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-267.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1995. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 555<\/a> 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. 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 2023, chapter 563<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":76108,"section_number":"8.01-267.3","catch_line":"Consolidation and other combined proceedings","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-267.3\/"},{"id":68984,"section_number":"8.01-267.4","catch_line":"Transfer","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-267.4\/"},{"id":58451,"section_number":"8.01-267.5","catch_line":"Joinder and severance","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-267.5\/"},{"id":65383,"section_number":"8.01-267.7","catch_line":"Later-filed actions","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-267.7\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":281335,"object_type":"law","relational_id":71276,"identifier":"8.01-267.1","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.1","url":"\/8.01-267.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-267.1\/","token":"8.01\/5.1\/8.01-267.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Standards governing consolidation, etc., and transfer","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-267.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On motion<\/span> of any party<\/span>, a circuit<\/span> court<\/span> may enter an order<\/span> joining, coordinating, consolidating or transferring civil actions<\/span> as provided in this chapter upon finding<\/span> that:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Separate civil actions<\/span> brought by six or more plaintiffs<\/span> involve common questions of law<\/span> or fact<\/span> and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence or series of transactions or occurrences; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The common questions of law<\/span> or fact<\/span> predominate and are significant to the actions; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The order<\/span> (i) will promote the ends of justice and the just and efficient conduct and disposition<\/span> of the actions, and (ii) is consistent with each party<\/span>’s right to due process<\/span> of law<\/span>, and (iii) does not prejudice each individual party<\/span>’s right to a fair and impartial resolution of each action<\/span>.\n\t\t\tFactors to be considered by the court<\/span> include, but are not limited to, (i) the nature of the common questions of law<\/span> or fact<\/span>; (ii) the convenience of the parties, witnesses and counsel<\/span>; (iii) the relative stages of the actions and the work of counsel<\/span>; (iv) the efficient utilization of judicial facilities and personnel; (v) the calendar of the courts<\/span>; (vi) the likelihood and disadvantages of duplicative and inconsistent rulings, orders<\/span> or judgments<\/span>; (vii) the likelihood of prompt settlement<\/span> of the actions without the entry of the order<\/span>; and (viii) as to joint trials<\/span> by jury<\/span>, the likelihood of prejudice or confusion.\n\t\t\tThe court<\/span> may organize and manage the combined litigation<\/span> and enter further orders<\/span> consistent with the right of each party<\/span> to a fair trial<\/span> as may be appropriate to avoid unnecessary costs, duplicative litigation<\/span> or delay and to assure fair and efficient conduct and resolution of the litigation<\/span>, including orders<\/span> that organize the parties into groups with like interest; appoint counsel<\/span> to have lead responsibility for certain matters; allocate costs and attorney fees to separate issues<\/span> into common questions that require treatment on a consolidated basis and individual cases that do not; and stay<\/span> discovery<\/span> on the issues<\/span> that are not consolidated. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTANDARDS GOVERNING CONSOLIDATION, ETC., AND TRANSFER (\u00a7 8.01-267.1)\n\nOn motion of any party, a circuit court may enter an order joining,\ncoordinating, consolidating or transferring civil actions as provided in this\nchapter upon finding that:\n\n1. Separate civil actions brought by six or more plaintiffs involve common\nquestions of law or fact and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence or\nseries of transactions or occurrences;\n\n2. The common questions of law or fact predominate and are significant to the\nactions; and\n\n3. The order (i) will promote the ends of justice and the just and efficient\nconduct and disposition of the actions, and (ii) is consistent with each\nparty’s right to due process of law, and (iii) does not prejudice each\nindividual party’s right to a fair and impartial resolution of each\naction.\n\t\t\tFactors to be considered by the court include, but are not limited to, (i)\nthe nature of the common questions of law or fact; (ii) the convenience of the\nparties, witnesses and counsel; (iii) the relative stages of the actions and the\nwork of counsel; (iv) the efficient utilization of judicial facilities and\npersonnel; (v) the calendar of the courts; (vi) the likelihood and disadvantages\nof duplicative and inconsistent rulings, orders or judgments; (vii) the\nlikelihood of prompt settlement of the actions without the entry of the order;\nand (viii) as to joint trials by jury, the likelihood of prejudice or confusion.\n\t\t\tThe court may organize and manage the combined litigation and enter further\norders consistent with the right of each party to a fair trial as may be\nappropriate to avoid unnecessary costs, duplicative litigation or delay and to\nassure fair and efficient conduct and resolution of the litigation, including\norders that organize the parties into groups with like interest; appoint counsel\nto have lead responsibility for certain matters; allocate costs and attorney\nfees to separate issues into common questions that require treatment on a\nconsolidated basis and individual cases that do not; and stay discovery on the\nissues that are not consolidated.\n\nHISTORY: 1995, c. 555; 2023, c. 563.","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}}