                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

REPRESENTATION AND REMOVAL; RIGHTS OF PARTIES (§ 16.1-122.4)

A. All parties shall be represented by themselves in actions before the small
claims court except as follows:

   1. A corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other legal or
   commercial entity may be represented by an owner, a general partner, an
   officer, a member, or an employee of that corporation, partnership, limited
   liability company, or other legal or commercial entity who shall have all the
   rights and privileges given an individual to represent, plead, and try a case
   without an attorney. An attorney may serve in this capacity if he is appearing
   pro se, but he may not serve in a representative capacity.

   2. A plaintiff or defendant who, in the judge&#8217;s opinion, is unable to
   understand or participate on his own behalf in the hearing may be represented
   by a friend or relative if the representative is familiar with the facts of
   the case and is not an attorney.

B. A defendant shall have the right to remove the case to the general district
court at any point preceding the handing down of the decision by the judge and
may be represented by an attorney for that purpose.

HISTORY: 1988, c. 799; 1997, c. 243; 2001, c. 74; 2024, c. 58.