Civil Division

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday-Friday, 8 A.M. - 4 P.M. (Phones close at 3:30 P.M.)
4110 Chain Bridge Road, Room 211
Fairfax, VA 22030
Holly Smith
Division Manager

Civil Division

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Overview

The General District Court decides civil cases in which the amount in question does not exceed $25,000, except for personal injury and wrongful death cases in which the amount in question does not exceed $50,000. In addition, unlawful detainer (eviction) suits that include a request for rent for commercial or agricultural property can be heard by the general district court even if the amount of rent requested is more than $25,000.

A suit is begun by filing a civil warrant or complaint with the clerk of the court and paying a filing fee.

Small claims cases are civil cases in which the plaintiff is seeking a money judgment up to $5,000 or recovery of personal property valued up to $5,000.  There are no attorneys in small claims court.

Below are the most common topics in the Civil Division. These pages explain the Court's procedures regarding these topics. Court employees will assist you when possible, but they are not employed as attorneys and cannot give legal advice. 

Most Common Civil Topics

Listed below are the most requested procedures and forms in the Civil Division of the General District Court. Please select the topic and the accompanying pages will explain the procedure in detail. If your topic is not in the short list, scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see a link to all Civil procedures and forms. 
Fairfax Virtual Assistant