The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2018

Insertion of new rule 9.9B

5.  After rule 9.9A (application to set aside a financial remedy order) insert—

“Standard and fast-track procedures for financial remedy proceedings

9.9B.— (1) In this rule “order for periodical payments” means an order under—

(a) section 23(1)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of the 1973 Act;

(b) section 27(5) or (6)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of the 1973 Act;

(c) paragraph 1(2)(a) or (b), 2(2)(a) or 9 of Schedule 1 to the 1989 Act;

(d) paragraph 2(1)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of Schedule 5 to the 2004 Act;

(e) paragraph 40 or 41(1)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of Schedule 5 to the 2004 Act.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), an application for a financial remedy must be dealt with under the standard procedure.

(3) The fast-track procedure applies to—

(a) any application where the financial remedy sought is only for an order for periodical payments;

(b) any application made under—

(i) the 1978 Act;

(ii) Schedule 6 to the 2004 Act;

(iii) Article 56 of the Maintenance Regulation; or

(iv) Article 10 of the 2007 Hague Convention;

(c) any application for the variation of an order for periodical payments, except where the applicant seeks the dismissal (immediate or otherwise) of the periodical payments order and its substitution with one or more of a lump sum order, a property adjustment order, a pension sharing order or a pension compensation sharing order.

(4) At any stage in the proceedings the court may order that an application proceeding under the fast-track procedure must proceed under the standard procedure.

(Rule 9.18A provides for specific occasions when the court may direct that a case should proceed under the standard procedure.)”.