Start My Answer
loading...

Virginia Court Case Search — Find Your Lawsuit

Dena Standley | July 25, 2023

Dena Standley
Legal Expert, Paralegal
Dena Standley, BA

Dena Standley is a seasoned paralegal with more than 20 years of experience in legal research and writing, having received a certification as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal from Southern Technical College.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: If a debt collection agency is suing you in Virginia, knowing how to find your court case records will help you prepare for court and increase your chances of winning. Virginia courts make it easy to access your case status with an online portal, and SoloSuit can help you draft and file an Answer to the lawsuit in minutes.

Having debt in today's world is almost inevitable. For some, the benefits outweigh the interest charged. While for others, debt becomes an enormous burden that plunges them deeper into it, especially if they are sued for it. Receiving a debt collection lawsuit in Virginia can be frustrating and worse still if you have no money to pay.

The worst decision to make as a defendant is failing to show up in court. Despite feeling helpless, you need to appear in court and defend yourself. Virginia courts allow its citizens to access their case records after being sued by visiting the courthouse where the lawsuit was filed or using the online portal. To help you have a fighting chance in your debt collection lawsuit, we will look at how you can access your court records. But first, let's discuss how the Virginia court system works.

Sued for debt? Use SoloSettle to resolve your debts and move on.

Settle with SoloSettle

Make an Offer

Court structure in Virginia

When you understand what type of court has jurisdiction over your case, it will make locating your courthouse and court clerk information much easier. Since debt collection lawsuits are considered civil cases, we will focus on Virginia's civil court structure in this section.

The Virginia judicial system is built to ensure that matters presented to them are addressed within the shortest time possible and that services are available to all citizens at any time. Understanding how these courts operate will help you figure out where your case is filed and how to reach the court clerk, should you have any questions. Virginia has four levels of courts that handles civil cases: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Courts, and the District Courts. Below, we break down each court and its responsibilities in detail.

  • Supreme Court: This is the court of last resort in Virginia. It has original and appellate jurisdiction over most matters, but its primary role is to hear appeals from the lower courts by permission. This court also ensures the entire judicial system performs its functions effectively, and the justices have the constitutional power to address any complaints.

  • Court of Appeals: This intermediate appellate court reviews decisions from the Circuit Courts. So, If you disagree with the outcome of your case at the District Court level, the case will be transferred to the Court of Appeals. Appeals in this court are a right for the parties, unlike the Supreme Court, where they can accept or reject the appeal.

  • Circuit Court: This is the only trial court with general jurisdiction in the state. It shares jurisdiction with the District Court over civil claims from $4,500 to $25,000. It also has exclusive jurisdiction over monetary claims exceeding $25,000.

  • District Court: This court is housed in every county and consists of a juvenile and domestic relations District Court and a general District Court. The general court hears civil cases not exceeding $25,000, with a small claims division that hears claims of up to $5,000.

The graphic below further illustrates the Virginia court structure for civil cases:

VA court structure

Your debt collection case will most likely be heard in your county’s District Court under the small claims division, depending on how much money is involved. The small claims court expedites the process, making it possible to reach a case outcome within 60 days without involving attorneys.

You might feel overwhelmed at the thought of representing yourself in court without an attorney’s help. Luckily, SoloSuit makes it easy for you to respond to a debt lawsuit without needing to hire a lawyer. In fact, you can draft and file your Answer document with SoloSuit in just 15 minutes. Check out the video below to learn more about how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How to find your case number in Virginia

A case number is assigned to every matter presented in all Virginia courthouses. This number will help you find your case records within seconds when searching for them at the courthouse or online. The clerk derives the case number from information such as:

  • The year the case was filed
  • The case type
  • The court type
  • The judge’s or judicial officer’s initials
  • The sequential number for similar cases for that year

If you do not have your unique case number, you can find it by visiting the courthouse where your case is filed and asking the court clerk to search it for you. They may request that you fill out a form to help them with the search. Alternatively, you can go to Virginia's District Court online portal and use the name search or hearing date search option.

How to access your court records in Virginia

You may ask yourself what good it would do to access your records. To begin with, you will be up to date with any crucial changes made and avoid missing your court date. Additionally, you’ll get any extra information the creditors may have filed against you, and you can confirm if the court received your Answer. Convinced? I hope so. Let's help you access your Virginia court records.

Access your Virginia court records in person

Virginia has ensured citizens can access their court records when they visit the courthouse. The first step is to discover the location of your county’s District Court. To do that, visit the Virginia courts directory, search for your county and click on it. You’ll be taken to another page with the contact information, including the physical address.

Once at the courthouse, you'll fill out a form and submit it to the court clerk. Ensure all the details are accurate to make the search process easy. Some courthouses have public self-service terminals for citizens to search their records. If you need copies of your court case records, you may be charged a small fee.

Access your Virginia court records online

Online access is the preferred option for many who do not wish to carve out time to travel to the courthouse. The process for searching your records online is simple. Go to Virginia’s General District Court Online Case Information System. On your left-hand side, click on your county and one of the following options to search the records:

  • Name search
  • Case number search
  • Hearing date
  • Process search

Next, enter the details and press the search button. You’ll instantly access your court records. Use this link if your case is in the Circuit Court. First, locate your county and click the begin button.

Now, let’s consider an example.

Example: Alex had a $3,745 debt with Collection Solutions of Virginia (CVS). He defaulted for seven months but managed to pay $1100. Alex wanted to resume payment, but the account records did not reflect the $1100 he had already paid. On calling CSV to ask, the agent responded sharply to his concerns and promised to take action if he didn’t start paying. Two weeks later, CVS delivered a lawsuit letter to his home, and he was both shocked and angry. Alex used SoloSuit to draft and file an Answer to the lawsuit where he explained that the debt had been partially paid off. He then gathered all his receipts and other documents to prepare for court. He did not want any surprises, so he went to Virginia's court record access portal and searched for Sussex County, used the case number on the lawsuit, and immediately retrieved his case records. Alex used this information and other online resources to keep updated with thecase and strategize his defense.


Make SoloSuit your partner

Our mission is to help consumers deal with their debt situation and provide them with documents for responding to creditors and the court. Explore our site and strategize how to handle your debt collection case. You can also use the document calculator below to determine which response is most appropriate for your debt situation.

Decide what to do next

What is the last document you received?

This calculator is for educational purposes only.

What is Solo?

Solo makes it easy to resolve debt with debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt. SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

SoloSettle can help you contact your debt collector or creditor and negotiate the debt to settle for less, all online. It simplifies and streamlines the process to settling your debt.

No matter where you find yourself in the debt collection process, Solo is here to help you resolve your debt.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

Get Started

We have answers.
Join our community of over 40,000 people.

You can ask your questions on the SoloSuit forum and the community will help you out. Whether you need help now or are just looking for support, we're here for you.

Ask a Question.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Guides on how to resolve debt with every debt collector

Are you being sued by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Resolve your debt with your creditor

Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.

Settle your medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Guides on arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Stop calls from debt collectors

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Federal debt collection laws can protect you

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Get debt relief in your state

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt collection laws in all 50 states

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt state guides

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote a guide on each state’s statutes. Check it out below.

Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection by State (Best Guide)

Check the status of your court case

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.

How to stop wage garnishment in your state

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.

Other wage garnishment resources

How to settle a debt in your state

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

How to settle with every debt collector

Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.

Other debt settlement resources

Personal loan and debt relief reviews

We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.

How to repair and improve your credit score

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt.

How to resolve student loan debt

Struggling with student debt? SoloSuit’s got you covered. Below are resources on handling student loan debt.

Civil law legal definitions

You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.

Get answers to these FAQs on debt collection

How-to debt guides

Learn more with these additional debt resources


Contents