Proceedings brought pursuant to statutory provisions relating to interpleader must,
to the extent not inconsistent with the governing statutes, be conducted in accordance with the Rules contained in this Part Three.
Rule 3:15.Statutory Interpleader.
Part Three: Practice and Procedures in Civil Actions · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceDirects that statutory interpleader proceedings in Virginia be conducted under the Part Three Rules to the extent those Rules don’t conflict with the governing interpleader statutes.
Full Text of Rule 3:15
Plain-English Summary
Interpleader lets a party holding property or funds claimed by multiple people force those claimants into one proceeding rather than face separate, possibly conflicting lawsuits. Virginia handles the remedy itself through its statutory interpleader provisions, not through this rule.
What this rule adds is the procedural bridge back to ordinary civil practice: to the extent the Part Three Rules aren’t inconsistent with the governing interpleader statutes, an interpleader case is conducted under those same Rules. The statutes set the substantive framework for interpleader; this rule fills in the procedural mechanics from the rest of Part Three wherever the statutes are silent or don’t conflict, which is why an interpleader case still tends to draw on the pleading, joinder, and third-party provisions found elsewhere in Part Three.
Frequently Asked Questions
What procedural rules apply to a statutory interpleader case in Virginia?
The Rules contained in Part Three apply, to the extent they aren’t inconsistent with the governing interpleader statutes.
Does this rule create the interpleader remedy itself?
No. It doesn’t create the remedy — it directs how an interpleader proceeding brought under the governing statutes is conducted procedurally, using the Part Three Rules where they don’t conflict with those statutes.
What happens if a specific interpleader statute conflicts with a Part Three Rule?
The statute controls. This rule only applies the Part Three Rules to the extent they are not inconsistent with the governing statutory provisions.
Why would multiple claimants end up in one interpleader proceeding?
Interpleader is meant to bring competing claimants together in a single case rather than have the same disputed property or fund litigated repeatedly in separate suits, and this rule folds that kind of case into ordinary civil procedure wherever the statutes allow.
Does an interpleader case still follow the general pleading and joinder rules?
Yes, to the extent those Rules don’t conflict with the interpleader statutes — which is why interpleader often overlaps with the joinder and third-party practice provisions elsewhere in Part Three.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order dated November 23, 2020; effective March 1, 2021.
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
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