{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/54.1-3906.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/54.1-3906.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/54.1-3906.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/54.1-3906.html"}],"law_id":368922,"edition_id":2,"section_id":368922,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3906","catch_line":"Liability to client","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-46; 1988, c. 765; 2011, c. 703.","full_text":"Every attorney shall be liable to his client for any damage sustained by the client through the neglect of his duty as such attorney.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1375702,"text":"Every attorney shall be liable to his client for any damage sustained by the client through the neglect of his duty as such attorney.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52566,"edition_id":2,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52565,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471231,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52566,"identifier":"1","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52565,"edition_id":2,"name":"Attorneys","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52564,"metadata":{"child_laws":55,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471229,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52565,"identifier":"39","token":"54.1\/IV\/39","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52564,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions Regulated by the Supreme Court","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":52436,"metadata":{"child_laws":55,"child_structures":8},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52564,"identifier":"IV","token":"54.1\/IV","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52436,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":118,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1282,"child_structures":163},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:51","permalink":{"id":1466315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52436,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":368916,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","url":"\/54.1-3900\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900","metadata":false},{"id":368914,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900.01","catch_line":"Protection of client interests; appointment of receiver for practice of a disabled, impaired, absent, deceased, suspended or disbarred attorney","url":"\/54.1-3900.01\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.01","metadata":false},{"id":368915,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900.02","catch_line":"Disclosure of services provided by the Department of Veterans Services","url":"\/54.1-3900.02\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.02","metadata":false},{"id":368917,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3901","catch_line":"Practice of patent law","url":"\/54.1-3901\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3901","metadata":false},{"id":368918,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3902","catch_line":"Professional corporations; professional limited liability companies; and registered limited liability partnerships","url":"\/54.1-3902\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3902","metadata":false},{"id":368919,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3903","catch_line":"Oath; qualification; proof of licensure or authorization","url":"\/54.1-3903\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3903","metadata":false},{"id":368920,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3904","catch_line":"Penalty for practicing without authority","url":"\/54.1-3904\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3904","metadata":false},{"id":368921,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3905","catch_line":"Furnishing advice and services for compensation in connection with certain debt-pooling plans deemed practicing law","url":"\/54.1-3905\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3905","metadata":false},{"id":368922,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3906","catch_line":"Liability to client","url":"\/54.1-3906\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3906","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. 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","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"},"5":{"name":"Hewlette v. Hovis","case_number":"2:04CV128","citation":"318 F. Supp. 2d 332","date":"2004-05-19","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2472864\/hewlette-v-hovis\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 318 F.Supp.2d 332 (2004) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"6":{"name":"Shevlin Smith v. McLaughlin","case_number":"140500","citation":null,"date":"2015-02-26","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2782322\/shevlin-smith-v-mclaughlin\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Present: Lemons, C.J, Goodwyn, Millette, McClanahan, and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"7":{"name":"Ripper v. Bain","case_number":"Record 961353","citation":"482 S.E.2d 832","date":"1997-02-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1060069\/ripper-v-bain\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 482 S.E.2d 832 (1997) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"8":{"name":"In Re Palumbo Family Ltd. Partnership","case_number":"16-51039","citation":"182 B.R. 447","date":"1995-04-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1985915\/in-re-palumbo-family-ltd-partnership\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 182 B.R. 447 (1995) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. 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Graves, Esq.","case_number":"1079223","citation":null,"date":"2023-10-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9434732\/mark-ohara-wright-v-andrew-c-graves-esq\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Mark O'Hara Wright v. Andrew C. Graves, Esq.","case_number":"1079223","citation":null,"date":"2023-10-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9433213\/mark-ohara-wright-v-andrew-c-graves-esq\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"McConnell v. Servinsky Engineering, PLLC","case_number":"Case No. 2:13CV00048","citation":"22 F. Supp. 3d 610","date":"2014-05-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7306688\/mcconnell-v-servinsky-engineering-pllc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. OPINION AND ORDER .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"},"5":{"name":"Hewlette v. Hovis","case_number":"2:04CV128","citation":"318 F. Supp. 2d 332","date":"2004-05-19","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2472864\/hewlette-v-hovis\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 318 F.Supp.2d 332 (2004) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"6":{"name":"Shevlin Smith v. McLaughlin","case_number":"140500","citation":null,"date":"2015-02-26","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2782322\/shevlin-smith-v-mclaughlin\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Present: Lemons, C.J, Goodwyn, Millette, McClanahan, and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"7":{"name":"Ripper v. Bain","case_number":"Record 961353","citation":"482 S.E.2d 832","date":"1997-02-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1060069\/ripper-v-bain\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 482 S.E.2d 832 (1997) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"8":{"name":"In Re Palumbo Family Ltd. Partnership","case_number":"16-51039","citation":"182 B.R. 447","date":"1995-04-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1985915\/in-re-palumbo-family-ltd-partnership\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 182 B.R. 447 (1995) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia"}}},"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3906\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapter 765; in 2011, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?111+ful+CHAP0703\">703<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1471265,"object_type":"law","relational_id":368922,"identifier":"54.1-3906","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3906","url":"\/54.1-3906\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3906\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3906","dublin_core":{"Title":"Liability to client","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3906","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Every attorney shall be liable to his client for any damage sustained by the client through the neglect of his duty as such attorney.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIABILITY TO CLIENT (\u00a7 54.1-3906)\n\nEvery attorney shall be liable to his client for any damage sustained by the\nclient through the neglect of his duty as such attorney.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-46; 1988, c. 765; 2011, c. 703.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}