Hiring a Business Lawyer in Virginia
How to form an LLC in Virginia, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Virginia: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Virginia Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a fee may be contingent on the outcome unless paragraph (d) or other law prohibits it; a contingent fee agreement must be in writing and describe how the fee is calculated, and at the end the lawyer must give the client a written statement of the outcome and any remittance. Rule 1.5(d) bars contingent fees in domestic relations matters except in rare instances, and for defending a criminal case. Rule 1.5(b) requires the fee to be adequately explained, and for new clients the amount, basis or rate should be communicated, preferably in writing. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Virginia State Bar's Fee Dispute Resolution Program is a voluntary program to help attorneys and clients resolve disputes over fees and costs for legal services by a Virginia lawyer. Both sides must agree; mediation is non-binding, and binding arbitration (enforceable by the circuit court) is available if mediation fails. It cannot hear disputes already decided by a court, or pending in court unless both parties agree in writing and the case is nonsuited or stayed. The petitioner pays a one-time, nonrefundable $20 administrative fee. Start with the online Request for Agreement to Participate form or the fee dispute hotline at (804) 775-9423, then send the Agreement to Participate and the $20 check to the assigned Circuit Committee Chair. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Virginia State Bar's Clients' Protection Fund may reimburse a documented financial loss caused by a Virginia lawyer's dishonest conduct (not negligence or malpractice) arising from a lawyer-client or fiduciary relationship. The lawyer must be disbarred, suspended, transferred to another membership class during a disciplinary proceeding, resigned, deceased, adjudicated incompetent, discharged in bankruptcy, or unlocatable. Awards are discretionary and the Fund is a last resort. File within seven years from when you knew or should have known of the loss, using the English-language petition for reimbursement, by mail or email; questions (804) 775-0572. |
Virginia rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | File Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) with the SCC Clerk's Office, either online through the Clerk's Information System (CIS) or by completing the downloadable form. The SCC encourages online filing to save time and prevent processing errors. If you attach your own articles online, expect a delay of about five business days for review. |
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| LLC filing fee | The State Corporation Commission (SCC) lists the fee to form a new Virginia LLC (Articles of Organization, Form LLC1011) at $100. |
| Registered agent | Every Virginia business must maintain a registered agent who is a Virginia resident with a Virginia physical business address (registered office) and is available during normal business hours. The agent must also be a member of the Virginia State Bar or part of the business's management (for an LLC, a member or manager); a business can also use a qualifying third party such as a law firm or service company, but cannot act as its own registered agent. Changing the registered agent or registered office (Form LLC1016) has no fee. |
| Annual report | Virginia LLCs do not file an annual report but pay an annual registration fee of $50.00 to the SCC, due by the last day of the month the LLC was organized or registered. The SCC sends an assessment about two months before the due date. Late payments get a $25 penalty, and an LLC that has not paid by the last day of the third month after the due date is canceled. Reinstatement (Form LLC1050.4P) costs $100 plus unpaid fees. |
| Operating agreement | Virginia law defines an operating agreement as an agreement of the members about the LLC's affairs and business, or a writing or agreement of a single-member LLC that meets statutory requirements. The SCC tells online filers not to attach operating agreements to their Articles of Organization. |
| Closing an LLC | A Virginia LLC is closed by filing Articles of Cancellation (Form LLC1050, "Cancel your LLC") with the SCC, online or on paper; the fee is $25. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Virginia State Bar's Virginia Lawyer Referral Service (VLRS) refers callers to practicing VSB members who have joined its panel. Call (800) 552-7977 (statewide and nationwide toll-free) or (804) 775-0808 (metro Richmond), Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. A $35.00 non-refundable referral fee, collected by VLRS when you are referred, entitles you to a consultation of up to 30 minutes (by phone or in person) with a VLRS lawyer; neither side is obligated to continue beyond it. The fee is waived for criminal record sealing referrals from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. In Northern Virginia, local bar programs (Fairfax, Alexandria, Prince William) may also help. |
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| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints that a Virginia lawyer violated the Rules of Professional Conduct go to the Virginia State Bar's Intake Office. File in writing only: by the online form, by emailing the downloadable complaint form, or by letter to Intake Office, 1111 East Main, Suite 700, Richmond, VA 23219-0026. Include your full name, mailing address, email and phone, the lawyer's full name and address (complaints against firms are not accepted), a brief but complete description of the facts, and your signature; send copies only, no more than 25 pages. If the complaint does not describe misconduct you are notified in writing; if it does, it goes to the Office of Bar Counsel and a staff attorney contacts you. Complaints are confidential except, for example, when public discipline results. Main line: (804) 775-0500. |
All legal help in Virginia · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.