This chapter applies only to a foreign-money claim in an action or distribution proceeding and applies to foreign- money issues even if other law under the conflict-of-laws rules of the Commonwealth applies to other issues in the action or distribution proceeding.
§ 8.01-465.15.Scope.
Chapter 17.3. Uniform Foreign-money Claims Act · Last amended 1991 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceThis section limits Chapter 17.3 to the foreign-money aspects of a claim raised in an action or distribution proceeding, and makes clear those currency rules apply even when Virginia's conflict-of-laws rules point to a different jurisdiction's law for the rest of the case.
Full Text of § 8.01-465.15
Plain-English Summary
A lawsuit can involve foreign-money issues while everything else about it — liability, contract interpretation, damages theory — is governed by an entirely different body of law. This section makes sure that split does not create a gap. Chapter 17.3 applies only to a foreign-money claim in an action or distribution proceeding, but where it applies, it governs the foreign-money issues specifically.
The key sentence is the second half: this chapter applies to foreign-money issues “even if other law under the conflict-of-laws rules of the Commonwealth applies to other issues in the action or distribution proceeding.” A court might apply another state's contract law to decide who owes what, while still applying Virginia's Chapter 17.3 rules to decide how the currency question gets resolved.
That carve-out design means the chapter functions as a specialized overlay rather than a comprehensive substantive code. It steps in for currency mechanics — determining the money of the claim, setting conversion dates, fixing judgment form — without displacing whatever law otherwise governs the merits of the dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this chapter apply to?
A foreign-money claim in an action or distribution proceeding.
Does choice-of-law analysis for the underlying claim change which law governs currency conversion?
No, this chapter's foreign-money rules apply “even if other law under the conflict-of-laws rules of the Commonwealth applies to other issues” in the case.
Does this chapter govern claims that are not expressed in a foreign money?
No, its scope is limited to foreign-money claims specifically.
Does this chapter apply outside of litigation, such as in a distribution proceeding?
Yes, the chapter applies in both an action and a distribution proceeding.
Where are “action” and “distribution proceeding” defined for purposes of this section?
Section 8.01-465.14.
Amendment History
1991, c. 24.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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