(a) In any civil case the parties, by counsel of record, may agree and submit for approval and entry by the court a pretrial scheduling order. If the court determines that the submitted order is not consistent with the efficient and orderly administration of justice, then the court will notify counsel and provide an opportunity to be heard.
Rule 1:18.Pretrial Scheduling Order.
Part One: General Rules Applicable to All Proceedings · Last amended 2022 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1:18 lets parties agree on and submit a pretrial scheduling order for court approval, authorizes the court to enter the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order from the Appendix of Forms when none has been entered, and bars deviating from that uniform order absent party agreement or a court finding it does not serve efficient administration.
Full Text of Rule 1:18
(b) In any civil case in which a pretrial scheduling order has not otherwise been entered pursuant to the court’s normal scheduling procedure, the court may, upon request of counsel of record for any party, or in its own discretion, enter the pretrial scheduling order contained in Section 3 of the Appendix of Forms at the end of Part I of these Rules (Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order). The court will cause copies of the order so entered to forthwith be transmitted to counsel for all parties. If any party objects to or requests modification of that order, the court will (a) hold a hearing to rule upon the objection or request or (b) with the consent of all parties and the approval of the court, enter an amended pretrial scheduling order.
(c) With the exception of domestic relations and eminent domain cases, a court may not enter a scheduling order which deviates from the terms of the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order unless either (1) counsel of record for all parties agree to different provisions, or (2) the court, after providing an opportunity for counsel of record to be heard, makes a finding that the scheduling order contained in the Appendix is not consistent with the efficient and orderly administration of justice under the specific circumstances of that case.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1:18 governs how a civil case gets a pretrial scheduling order. Parties, through counsel of record, may agree on their own scheduling order and submit it for the court’s approval; if the court thinks the submitted order does not serve the efficient and orderly administration of justice, it must notify counsel and give them a chance to be heard before rejecting it.
If no scheduling order has otherwise been entered under the court’s normal procedure, the court — on request of any counsel of record or on its own — may enter the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order found in the Appendix of Forms at the end of Part One, and must send copies to counsel for all parties. A party who objects to or wants to modify that order can get either a hearing on the objection or, with everyone’s consent and the court’s approval, an amended order.
Outside domestic relations and eminent domain cases, a court generally cannot deviate from the terms of the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order. The only ways around that are agreement by counsel of record for all parties on different terms, or a court finding, made after giving counsel an opportunity to be heard, that the Appendix order does not serve the efficient and orderly administration of justice under the specific circumstances of the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the parties in a Virginia civil case write their own pretrial scheduling order?
Yes. Rule 1:18(a) lets counsel of record agree on a pretrial scheduling order and submit it for the court’s approval and entry.
What happens if no one submits a pretrial scheduling order?
The court may, on request or on its own, enter the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order found in the Appendix of Forms at the end of Part One of the Rules, under Rule 1:18(b).
Can a court depart from the Uniform Pretrial Scheduling Order’s terms?
Only in domestic relations or eminent domain cases, or if all counsel of record agree to different terms, or if the court, after giving counsel a chance to be heard, finds the uniform terms are not consistent with efficient and orderly administration of justice under the case’s specific circumstances.
What if I object to the scheduling order the court entered?
Under Rule 1:18(b), the court will either hold a hearing to rule on your objection or, with the consent of all parties and the court’s approval, enter an amended scheduling order.
Can the court reject a scheduling order the parties agreed on?
Yes, if the court determines the submitted order is inconsistent with the efficient and orderly administration of justice — but Rule 1:18(a) requires the court to notify counsel and give an opportunity to be heard first.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order dated June 13, 2022; effective August 12, 2022.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia, published by the
Supreme Court of Virginia. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: pretrial scheduling order Virginiauniform pretrial scheduling order VirginiaRule 1:18 Virginiascheduling order deviation Virginiaappendix of forms pretrial order