The Family Procedure Rules 2010

PART 5 E+W FORMS AND START OF PROCEEDINGS

Forms E+W

5.1.—(1) Subject to rule 14.10(2) and(3), the forms referred to in a practice direction, shall be used in the cases to which they apply.

(2) A form may be varied by the court or a party if the variation is required by the circumstances of a particular case.

(3) A form must not be varied so as to leave out any information or guidance which the form gives to the recipient.

(4) Where these rules require a form to be sent by the court or by a party for another party to use, it must be sent without any variation except such as is required by the circumstances of the particular case.

[F1 (5) Paragraph (2) does not apply to the forms annexed to the Maintenance Regulation [F2 , or to an Article 11 form].]

[F3 (6) Nothing in this rule requires a party to reveal any particulars referred to in rule 29.1(1) if notice of those particulars is given to the court in accordance with rule 29.1(2).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Rule 5.1(5) inserted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 5

F2 Words in rule 5.1(5) inserted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 5

F3 Rule 5.1(6) inserted (6.4.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/679), rules 1, 5 (with rule 30)

Documents to be attached to a form E+W

5.2.  Subject to any rule or practice direction, unless the court directs otherwise, a form must have attached to it any documents which, in the form, are—

(a) stated to be required; or

(b) referred to.

Proceedings are started by issue of application form E+W

5.3.—(1) Proceedings are started when a court officer issues an application at the request of the applicant.

(2) An application is issued on the date entered in the application form by the court officer.

[F4 (3) Where the application is made under Article 56 of the Maintenance Regulation, or under Article 10 of the 2007 Hague Convention, the applicant is deemed to have requested the issue of the application by virtue of making the application for establishment or modification of a maintenance decision forwarded on his or her behalf by the Lord Chancellor.

[The Lord Chancellor is the Central Authority for England and Wales in relation to the 2007 Hague Convention and the Maintenance Regulation]]

(Rule 29.7 requires an application form to be authenticated with the stamp of the court when it is issued)

Textual Amendments

F4 Rule 5.3(3) and words inserted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 6

[F5 Where to start proceedings E+W

5.4.— (1) Where both the family court and the High Court have jurisdiction to deal with a matter, the proceedings relating to that matter must be started in the family court.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply where—

(a) proceedings relating to the same parties are already being heard in the High Court;

(b) any rule, other enactment or Practice Direction provides otherwise; or

(c) the court otherwise directs.]

Textual Amendments

F5 Rule 5.4 inserted (22.4.2014) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No.3) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/3204), rules 1, 9 (with rule 137); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2

[F6 Filing documents with and sending documents to the court by e-mail E+W

5.5.— (1) A practice direction may make provision for documents to be filed with or sent to the court by e-mail.

(2) Any such practice direction may—

(a) provide that only particular categories of documents may be filed with or sent to the court by such means;

(b) provide that particular provisions only apply in specified courts or court offices; and

(c) specify the requirements that must be fulfilled for any document filed with or sent to the court by such means.]

Textual Amendments

F6 Rule 5.5 inserted (7.12.2015) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2015 (S.I. 2015/1868), rules 1(2), 4

[F7 Documents in the Welsh language E+W

5.6.— (1) Any document placed before the court in family proceedings in or having a connection with Wales may be in the English or Welsh language.

(2) It is the responsibility of any party if acting in person or of that party’s legal representative to inform the court as soon as practicable if documents in the Welsh language will or may be placed before the court, so that appropriate arrangements can be made.]

Textual Amendments

F7 Rule 5.6 inserted (10.12.2018) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2018 (S.I. 2018/1172), rules 1, 4