Part Seven A: General District Courts – In General · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7A:3 defines “counsel” and “attorney” to include firms and professional associations practicing under a firm name, defines “counsel of record” as an attorney who has signed a pleading or notified the court of an appearance, and requires leave of court before counsel of record may withdraw.
Full Text of Rule 7A:3
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When used in these Rules, the word "counsel" or "attorney" includes a partnership, a professional corporation or an association of members of the Virginia State Bar practicing under a firm name.
"Counsel of record" in any case includes an attorney who has signed a pleading in the case or who has notified the clerk or judge that the attorney appears in the case and also includes a party who appears in court pro se. Except as provided in § 16.1-69.32:1, counsel of record may not withdraw from a case except by leave of court with such notice as the court may require to the client of the time and place of a motion for leave to withdraw.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7A:3 gives two terms fixed meanings for every rule in Part Seven-A. “Counsel” and “attorney” are not limited to a single lawyer acting alone — the definition reaches a partnership, a professional corporation, or an association of Virginia State Bar members practicing together under a firm name. That matters because other Part Seven-A rules that speak of “counsel” — signing pleadings, receiving service, endorsing orders — apply the same way whether the case is handled by a solo practitioner or a law firm.
“Counsel of record” carries a narrower meaning: an attorney who has signed a pleading in the case, or who has notified the clerk or the judge of an appearance. A party who represents themselves without an attorney and appears pro se also counts as counsel of record for these purposes. Once an attorney becomes counsel of record, Rule 7A:3 makes withdrawal a matter for the court, not the attorney alone — withdrawal requires leave of court, with whatever notice to the client the court requires, except where § 16.1-69.32:1 of the Code of Virginia provides otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does “counsel” under Rule 7A:3 include a law firm, or only an individual lawyer?
It includes both. Rule 7A:3 defines “counsel” and “attorney” to reach a partnership, a professional corporation, or an association of Virginia State Bar members practicing under a firm name, not just a single lawyer.
What makes someone “counsel of record” in a General District Court case?
An attorney becomes counsel of record by signing a pleading filed in the case or by notifying the clerk or judge of an appearance. A party who appears without an attorney, representing themselves, also counts as counsel of record.
Can an attorney stop representing a client in a General District Court case without asking the court?
No. Rule 7A:3 requires leave of court before counsel of record may withdraw, along with whatever notice to the client the court requires, except as § 16.1-69.32:1 of the Code of Virginia provides.
Is a self-represented litigant treated as counsel of record?
Yes. Rule 7A:3 expressly includes a party who appears in court pro se within the definition of counsel of record.
What notice does a client get when their attorney asks to withdraw?
Whatever notice the court requires. Rule 7A:3 leaves the specifics of that notice — of the time and place of the withdrawal motion — to the court’s discretion, rather than fixing a uniform requirement.
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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