Rule 8:2.Definitions.

Part Eight: Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026

In one sentenceRule 8:2 adopts the statutory definitions for Part Eight and adds its own for "counsel" and "counsel of record," including the limits on withdrawing from a case.

Full Text of Rule 8:2

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) Statutory Definitions. The definitions stated in § 16.1-228 are applicable to this Part.

(b) Additional Definitions. The following words and phrases used in this Part are defined as follows:

(1) "Counsel" or "attorney" includes a partnership, a professional corporation or an association of members of the Virginia State Bar practicing under a firm name or governmental agency name.

(2) "Counsel of Record" in any pending 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 guardian ad litem and a party who appears in court pro se. Except as provided by statute, 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.

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Plain-English Summary

Part Eight does not build its vocabulary from scratch. The definitions in Code § 16.1-228 — the juvenile law’s own definitional section — apply throughout the Part. On top of those, the rule defines two terms it needs for its own procedures.

"Counsel" or "attorney" reaches beyond the individual lawyer: it includes a partnership, a professional corporation, or an association of members of the Virginia State Bar practising under a firm name or a governmental agency name. That matters because so much of Part Eight is written in terms of what counsel must file, serve, or endorse.

"Counsel of record" is broader still, and it is the term that carries obligations. It covers an attorney who has signed a pleading, an attorney who has told the clerk or judge that they appear, a guardian ad litem, and a party appearing pro se. Once a person is counsel of record, leaving is not a matter of choice: except as a statute provides otherwise, counsel of record may not withdraw except by leave of court, with whatever notice the court requires to the client of the time and place of the motion for leave to withdraw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do Part Eight’s definitions come from?

The definitions in Code § 16.1-228 apply to the whole Part. Rule 8:2(b) adds definitions of "counsel" or "attorney" and "counsel of record".

Does "counsel" include a law firm?

Yes. It includes a partnership, a professional corporation, or an association of members of the Virginia State Bar practising under a firm name or a governmental agency name.

Is a guardian ad litem counsel of record?

Yes. "Counsel of record" includes a guardian ad litem, alongside an attorney who has signed a pleading or notified the clerk or judge of an appearance, and a party who appears pro se.

Can counsel of record stop representing a client at will?

No. Except as provided by statute, counsel of record may not withdraw from a case except by leave of court, with such notice to the client of the time and place of the motion for leave to withdraw as the court requires.

Is a self-represented party treated as counsel of record?

Yes. A party who appears in court pro se is included in the definition of counsel of record.

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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