Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Virginia

You (allegedly) owe someone or some company money. They go to the general

district court to file a warrant in debt against you. A deputy sheriff then serves you with the paperwork concerning this lawsuit which is usually a copy of the warrant and a summons to appear in civil court on a certain date and time.

You then must appear at this first return date either by yourself or with an attorney to contest the case or a default judgment will likely be entered against you by the court.

This judgment can then be enforced by your judgment creditor (the one who received the judgment) by garnishment of your wages and/or bank account(s)

or by other means such as a sheriff's sale of your personal property (not easy to do, however).

This judgment could also be entered into your credit records maintained by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies which could affect your credit rating or FICO score.