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State Guide

Virginia Bankruptcy Guide

Which court hears a case from each county

Each county below is assigned to a federal district, and larger districts divide further by division. Every assignment comes from the court’s own published order or local rule.

Bankruptcy venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, not by county alone. It can rest on domicile, residence, a principal place of business, or principal assets in the United States, measured over the 180 days before filing — so a recent move can change which district is available. Confirm venue before filing.

All 133 counties in Virginia are mapped to a court.

Eastern District of Virginia

64 counties

E.D. Va. Local Civil Rule 3(B)(3): "The Norfolk Division shall consist of the Cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Franklin, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Cape Charles, and the Counties of Accomack, Northampton, Isle of Wight, Southampton, and any other city or town geographically within the exterior boundaries of said counties."

Western District of Virginia

69 counties

W.D. Va. Local Bankruptcy Rule 1071-1(A)(2): "Lynchburg Divisional Office ... which consists of the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Culpeper, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Greene, Halifax, Henry, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Patrick, Pittsylvania, and the cities of Charlottesville, Bedford, Lynchburg, Danville, Martinsville, and South Boston."

Virginia in detail

What we publish for Virginia

  • State exemption system (opt-out vs federal election)

    This state has opted out of the federal exemption list for debtors whose applicable exemption law is this state's law. Which state's law applies is set by 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A) from where the filer was domiciled before filing, not from where they live today — and § 522(b)(3) still allows the federal list where that domicile rule would otherwise leave a debtor with no exemptions at all.

  • Means test median income

    Published medians for 10 household sizes. A comparison, not a decision.

  • Which federal court hears your case

    All 133 mapped to a district and division, each with the court's own order or rule cited.

  • Local court practice (341 format, plan form, no-look fee)

    Verified for 2 of 2 districts.

  • Tools using Virginia data

    10 calculators run on this state's published figures.

Not yet published for Virginia

These are sections this page does not cover for Virginia. Rather than show a summary we cannot source, it says what is missing.

  • Exemptions — what state law listsNot yet published
  • Wage garnishment limitsNot yet published
  • Participating firmsNot yet published

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