The Family Proceedings Rules 1991

Discovery of documents in defended cause

2.20—(1) RSC Order 24 (discovery and inspection of documents) shall apply to a defended cause begun by petition whether pending in the High Court or county court as it applies to an action begun by writ, with the following modifications—

(a) the second paragraph of rule 2(1) and rules 2(2) to (4), rules 4(2), 6 and 7A shall be omitted,

(b) in rule 16(1) the words from “including” to the end shall be omitted,

(c) in rule 2(7) for the words “the summons for directions in the action is taken out” there shall be substituted the words “directions for trial are given”.

(2) For the purposes of RSC Order 24, rule 2(1) as applied by paragraph (1) of this rule, pleadings shall be deemed to be closed at the expiration of 14 days after service of the answer, and are deemed to be closed then notwithstanding that any request or order for particulars previously made has not been complied with.

(3) The petitioner and any party who has filed an answer shall be entitled to have a copy of any list of documents served on any other party under RSC Order 24 as applied by paragraph (1) of this rule, and such copy shall, on request, be supplied to him free of charge by the party who served the list.

• In this paragraph “list of documents” includes an affidavit verifying the list.