The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2014

Amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010

25.  For rule 12.25, substitute—

“The Case Management Hearing and the Issues Resolution Hearing

12.25.— (1) The court will conduct the Case Management Hearing with the objective of—

(a) confirming the level of judge to which the proceedings have been allocated;

(b) drawing up a timetable for the proceedings including the time within which the proceedings are to be resolved;

(c) identifying the issues; and

(d) giving directions in accordance with rule 12.12 and Practice Direction 12A to manage the proceedings.

(2) The court may hold a further Case Management Hearing only where this hearing is necessary to fulfil the objectives of the Case Management Hearing set out in paragraph (1).

(3) The court will conduct the Issues Resolution Hearing with the objective of—

(a) identifying the remaining issues in the proceedings;

(b) as far as possible resolving or narrowing those issues; and

(c) giving directions to manage the proceedings to the final hearing in accordance with rule 12.12 and Practice Direction 12A.

(4) Where it is possible for all the issues in the proceedings to be resolved at the Issues Resolution Hearing, the court may treat the Issues Resolution Hearing as a final hearing and make orders disposing of the proceedings.

(5) The court may set a date for the Case Management Hearing, a further Case Management Hearing and the Issues Resolution Hearing at the times referred to in Practice Direction 12A.

(6) The matters which the court will consider at the hearings referred to in this rule are set out in Practice Direction 12A.

(Rule 25.6 (experts: when to apply for the court’s permission) provides that unless the court directs otherwise, parties must apply for the court’s permission as mentioned in section 13(1), (3) and (5) of the 2014 Act as soon as possible and in Part 4 proceedings and in so far as practicable other public law proceedings no later than the Case Management Hearing.)”.