The Family Proceedings Rules 1991

Notice of intention to defend

10.8—(1) In these rules any reference to a notice of intention to defend is a reference to an acknowledgment of service in Form M6 containing a statement to the effect that the person by whom or on whose behalf it is signed intends to defend the proceedings to which the acknowledgment relates, and any reference to giving notice of intention to defend is a reference to returning such a notice to the court office.

(2) In relation to any person on whom there is served a document requiring or authorising an acknowledgment of service to be returned to the court office, references in these rules to the time limited for giving notice of intention to defend are references—

(a) to seven days after service of the document, in the case of notice of intention to defend a petition under Part 11 of these rules, and

(b) in any other case, to 14 days or such other time as may be fixed.

(3) Subject to paragraph (2) a person may give notice of intention to defend notwithstanding that he has already returned to the court office an acknowledgment of service not constituting such a notice.