Drafts of orders must be endorsed by counsel of record, or reasonable notice of the time and place of presenting such drafts together with copies thereof must be served by delivering, dispatching by commercial delivery service, transmitting by facsimile or mailing to all counsel of record who have not endorsed them. Compliance with this rule and with Rule 7A:10 may be modified or dispensed with by the court in its discretion. In an Electronically Filed Case, endorsement and specification of any objections to the draft order is accomplished as provided in Rule 1:17.
Rule 7A:11.Endorsements.
Part Seven A: General District Courts – In General · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7A:11 requires draft orders to be endorsed by counsel of record or preceded by reasonable notice served on counsel who have not endorsed them, lets the court modify or waive that requirement and Rule 7A:10’s service requirement, and directs that endorsement in an Electronically Filed Case follow Rule 1:17 instead.
Full Text of Rule 7A:11
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7A:11 addresses how a draft order gets before the judge without blindsiding any party. The default is endorsement: counsel of record sign off on the draft before it is presented. When a party will not endorse the draft, the rule substitutes notice — reasonable notice of the time and place the draft will be presented, served along with a copy of the draft, delivered by hand, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or mail to every counsel of record who has not endorsed it.
The court retains discretion to modify or waive both this endorsement requirement and Rule 7A:10’s service requirement, recognizing that a rigid rule does not fit every situation a draft order might arise in. And in an Electronically Filed Case, Rule 7A:11 does not run its own separate procedure — endorsement of the draft and the specification of any objections to it follow Rule 1:17, the same electronic-filing rule that governs formatting and service in those cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every counsel of record have to sign off on a draft order before it goes to the judge?
Not necessarily. Rule 7A:11 allows either endorsement by counsel of record or, for counsel who have not endorsed the draft, reasonable notice of the time and place it will be presented, served with a copy of the draft.
How can notice of a draft order be served on counsel who have not endorsed it?
By delivering it, dispatching it through a commercial delivery service, transmitting it by facsimile, or mailing it to each counsel of record who has not endorsed the draft.
Can the court excuse a party from the endorsement or notice requirements of Rule 7A:11?
Yes. The rule allows the court, in its discretion, to modify or dispense with compliance with Rule 7A:11 and with Rule 7A:10’s service requirement.
How does endorsement of a draft order work in an Electronically Filed Case?
Rule 7A:11 states that in an Electronically Filed Case, endorsement of the draft order and specification of any objections to it are accomplished as provided in Rule 1:17, rather than under the paper-based procedure the rest of Rule 7A:11 describes.
What is the point of requiring notice when counsel will not endorse a draft order?
It gives counsel of record who disagree with the draft a chance to know when and where it will be presented to the judge, so they can appear and raise objections before the order is entered.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order dated March 1, 2011; effective May 2, 2011. 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
Also known as: virginia GDC draft order endorsementserving notice of draft order virginia general district courtrule 7A:11 endorsementsobjecting to draft order virginia GDCelectronically filed case draft order virginia