The Family Procedure Rules 2010

Court's duty to manage cases E+W

1.4.—(1) The court must further the overriding objective by actively managing cases.

[F1 (2) Active case management includes—

(a) setting timetables or otherwise controlling the progress of the case;

(b) identifying at an early stage—

(i) the issues; and

(ii) who should be a party to the proceedings;

(c) deciding promptly—

(i) which issues need full investigation and hearing and which do not; and

(ii) the procedure to be followed in the case;

(d) deciding the order in which issues are to be resolved;

(e) controlling the use of expert evidence;

(f) encouraging the parties to use [F2 a non-court dispute resolution] procedure if the court considers that appropriate and facilitating the use of such procedure;

(g) helping the parties to settle the whole or part of the case;

(h) encouraging the parties to co-operate with each other in the conduct of proceedings;

(i) considering whether the likely benefits of taking a particular step justify the cost of taking it;

(j) dealing with as many aspects of the case as it can on the same occasion;

(k) dealing with the case without the parties needing to attend at court;

(l) making use of technology; and

(m) giving directions to ensure that the case proceeds quickly and efficiently.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Rule 1.4(2) substituted (31.1.2013) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) (No.5) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/3061), rules 1, 3

F2 Words in rule 1.4(2)(f) substituted (22.4.2014) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2014 (S.I. 2014/843), rules 1, 3