If you walked out of Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court with a ruling that felt wrong, you are not stuck with it. Virginia gives you ten days from the entry of the order to note an appeal to Circuit Court.
The appeal is heard de novo, which means the Circuit Court judge starts completely fresh. New testimony, new exhibits, new witnesses. Nothing that happened in JDR binds the new judge.
That's a genuine second chance — but only if you act. The ten-day deadline is jurisdictional, meaning no judge can extend it for any reason, no matter how sympathetic your situation.
So today: find your order and check the entry date. Write down what you believe went wrong. Then call an attorney. Even if you ultimately decide not to appeal, noting it preserves the option while you think.