Circuit Court Alert:
The Civil Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court is located on the third floor of the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road in Suite 320. The Division is open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Telephone 703-691-7320 (press 3, then 1)
In civil cases, the Circuit Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the General District Court over claims from $4,501 to $50,000 and exclusive, original jurisdiction over monetary claims exceeding $50,000. The Circuit Court also has jurisdiction over other matters, including: attachments, adoptions, divorce proceedings, disputes concerning wills, trusts and estates, and controversies involving property.
Overview
Fairfax County cover sheets are required to be submitted with all initial civil filings. There are three cover sheets available for use depending on the type of case being filed, either a domestic case, an adoption case or all other civil cases. These cover sheets should be completed in full and submitted as part of the initial pleading.
You may request certain corrections to a birth certificate through Virginia’s Division of Vital Records. If the request is denied, you can file a request in Circuit Court.
The Circuit Court is responsible for maintaining civil exhibits that have been admitted or identified in a court proceeding. Pursuant to Virginia Code 8.01-452.1, the Court must retain these records for 60 days from the entry of the judgment in a civil case or, if the civil case is appealed or notice of appeal is pending or the case is being reheard, when the appeal or rehearing is concluded. After this 60 day period, the Court can destroy or donate any exhibits 21 days after it mails notice to the owner or his attorney by first-class mail, unless the owner or his attorney asks for the return of the exhibits.
If an owner or his attorney would like to have the exhibits back, he should send a letter to the Court requesting their return or prepare an order to have them returned. If a letter is sent, the Clerk's office will prepare the order for the return of exhibits.
Upon entry of the order, the party requesting the exhibits will be called so that he may make arrangements to pick up the exhibits.
Please note that any exhibits not admitted or identified should not be given to the Court for retention.
An exhibit is the document or other tangible item a party seeks to have the judge accept at trial as valid evidence in the case. An exhibit does not become evidence in the case until the judge rules that it is accepted as evidence in the case.
Procedure
The original, labeled exhibits must be brought to court the day of trial. The Case Status Team does not give out exhibit labels.
Exhibit Format:
The Case Status Team works with parties to schedule cases according to individualized timelines established by the court. The goal is to afford every litigant access to the courts to resolve their dispute by trial or settlement fairly and efficiently.
Many persons who come before the courts are partially or completely excluded from full participation in the proceedings due to limited English proficiency or a speech or hearing impairment. It is essential that the resulting communication barrier be removed, as far as possible, so that these persons are placed in the same position as similarly situated persons for whom there is no such barrier