Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-475 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

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For purposes of this chapter:

"Annuity issuer" means an insurer that has issued a contract to fund periodic payments under a structured settlement.

"Applicable federal rate" means the most recently published applicable federal rate for determining the present value of an annuity, as prescribed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7520, as amended.

"Assignee" means a party acquiring or proposing to acquire structured settlement payment rights directly or indirectly from a transferee of such rights.

"Dependents" include a payee's spouse and minor children and all other persons for whom the payee is legally obligated to provide support, including alimony.

"Discounted present value" means the present value of future payments determined by discounting such payments to the present using the most recently published Applicable Federal Rate for determining the present value of an annuity, as issued by the United States Internal Revenue Service.

"Gross advance amount" means the sum payable to the payee or for the payee's account as consideration for a transfer of structured settlement payment rights before any reductions for transfer expenses or other deductions to be made from such consideration.

"Independent professional advice" means advice of an attorney, certified public accountant, actuary or other licensed professional adviser.

"Interested parties" means, with respect to any structured settlement:

1. The payee;

2. Any beneficiary irrevocably designated under the annuity contract to receive payments following the payee's death or, if such beneficiary is a minor, the designated beneficiary's parent or guardian;

3. The annuity issuer;

4. The structured settlement obligor; and

5. Any other party to such structured settlement that has continuing rights or obligations to receive or make payments under such structured settlement.

"Net advance amount" means the gross advance amount less the aggregate amount of the actual and estimated transfer expenses required to be disclosed under subdivision 5 of § 59.1-475.1.

"Payee" means an individual who is receiving tax free payments under a structured settlement and proposes to make a transfer of payment rights thereunder.

"Periodic payments" includes both recurring payments and scheduled future lump sum payments.

"Qualified assignment agreement" means an agreement providing for a qualified assignment within the meaning of § 130 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, United States Code Title 26, as amended from time to time.

"Settled claim" means the original tort claim resolved by a structured settlement.

"Structured settlement" means an arrangement for periodic payment of damages for personal injuries or sickness established by settlement or judgment in resolution of a tort claim.

"Structured settlement agreement" means the agreement, judgment, stipulation, or release embodying the terms of a structured settlement.

"Structured settlement obligor" means, with respect to any structured settlement, a party that has a continuing obligation to make periodic payments to the payee under a structured settlement agreement or a qualified assignment agreement.

"Structured settlement payment rights" means rights to receive periodic payments under a structured settlement, whether from the structured settlement obligor or the annuity issuer, where the payee is domiciled in the Commonwealth or the structured settlement agreement was approved by a court in the Commonwealth.

"Terms of the structured settlement" include, with respect to any structured settlement, the terms of the structured settlement agreement, the annuity contract, any qualified assignment agreement, and any order or other approval of any court or other government authority that authorized or approved such structured settlement.

"Transfer" means any sale, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, or other alienation or encumbrance of structured settlement payment rights made by a payee for consideration; however, the term "transfer" shall not include the creation or perfection of a security interest in structured settlement payment rights under a blanket security agreement entered into with an insured depository institution, in the absence of any action to redirect the structured settlement payments to such insured depository institution, or an agent or successor in interest thereof, or otherwise to enforce such blanket security interest against the structured settlement payment rights.

"Transfer agreement" means the agreement providing for transfer of structured settlement payment rights.

"Transfer expenses" means all expenses of a transfer that are required under the transfer agreement to be paid by the payee or deducted from the gross advance amount, including, without limitation, court filing fees, attorneys' fees, escrow fees, lien recordation fees, judgment and lien search fees, finders' fees, commissions, and other payments to a broker or other intermediary; however, "transfer expenses" shall not include preexisting obligations of the payee payable for the payee's account from the proceeds of a transfer.

"Transferee" means a party acquiring or proposing to acquire structured settlement payment rights through a transfer.

1999, c. 993; 2001, c. 537; 2006, c. 786; 2016, cc. 273, 739.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 9 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2000–2022 · leading case: Johnson v. Structured Asset Servs., LLC, 148 S.W.3d 711 (Tex. App. 2004).

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Johnson v. Structured Asset Servs., LLC, 148 S.W.3d 711 (Tex. App. 2004). “…(Michie 2004); Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 47-18-2601 to 47-18-2607 (2001); Utah Code Ann §§ 78-59-101 to 78-59-108 (2002); Va.Code Ann. §§ 59.1-475 to 59.1-477.1 (Michie 2001); Wash. Rev.Code Ann. §§ 19.205.010 to 19.205.900 (West Supp.2004); W.Va.Code Ann. §§ 46A-6H-1 to 46A-6H-8…”

Stone Street Capital, Inc. v. Granati (In Re Granati), 270 B.R. 575 (Bankr. E.D. Va. 2001). · cites it 2× “See Va.Code Ann. § 59.1-475 (“ ‘Structured settlement’ means an arrangement for periodic payment of damages for personal injuries established by settlement or judgment in resolution of a tort claim or for periodic payments in settlement of a workers’ compensation claim.”

Granati v. Stone Street Capital, Inc. (In Re Granati), 307 B.R. 827 (E.D. Va. 2002). · cites it 2× “See Va.Code Ann. § 59.1-475. Of course, that Act does not apply to the case at bar because the contract was formed in this case in March 1997, over two years before the effective date of this statute.”

Am. Gen. Life Ins. Co. v. DRB Capital, LLC, 562 S.W.3d 916 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018). “Although the state statutes are not all uniform, most were inspired by model legislation promulgated by the National Structured Settlements Trade Association. Daniel W. Hindert & Craig H.”

In re Moore, 68 Va. Cir. 139 (Portsmouth Cir. Ct. 2005). · cites it 3× “unless the transfer has been authorized ... in a final court order or order of a responsible administrative authority.”

In re Merrick Bank Corp., 52 Va. Cir. 58 (Richmond County Cir. Ct. 2000). · cites it 4× “Such an agreement is defined by *59 Va. Code § 59.1-475 as “an arrangement for periodic payment of damages for personal injuries established by settlement or judgment in resolution of a tort claim or for periodic payments in settlement of a workers’ compensation claim.”

Larry Dockery v. Stephen Heretick (3rd Cir. 2022). “” Va. Code § 59.1-475. There is no doubt that Dockery was “advised in writing to receive independent professional advice,” as required by statute.”

Dockery v. Heretick (E.D. Pa. 2021). “” Va. Code § 59.1-475. So, the Portsmouth court was required to find only that Dockery received advice of a lawyer, certified public accountant, actuary, or other licensed professional adviser regarding the transfer; the court was not required to make any findings about that…”

Dockery v. Heretick (E.D. Pa. 2021). “Va. Code § 59.1-475. Nonetheless, the Court does not find it necessary to resolve for purposes of class certification the merits issue of whether Heretick’s statement about “independent professional advice” reflects the lawyers’ compliance with their ethical responsibilities.”

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