Practice Directions Explained: How Family Court Procedure Actually Works
Practice Directions sit alongside the Family Procedure Rules and provide much of the practical detail governing how Family Court proceedings are prepared, filed, managed and heard.
If you are representing yourself, the important question is often not “What is a Practice Direction?” but “Which Practice Direction applies to the problem I am dealing with?”
Legislation & Family Procedure Rules
The statutory and rules framework providing the court's powers, duties and procedural structure.
Practice Directions
The detailed procedural framework explaining how particular Rules, applications, hearings and evidence processes operate.
Your sealed court order
The case-specific directions telling the parties what must happen next and by when.
If a sealed order appears inconsistent with the general procedural position, do not simply ignore the order because an online guide says something different. Check the applicable rule and Practice Direction and, where necessary, seek clarification, variation or appropriate directions from the court.
1. What does a Practice Direction actually do?
The Family Procedure Rules establish the broad procedural framework for family proceedings. Practice Directions supplement those Rules with additional detail about how particular processes are intended to work.
Depending on the Practice Direction, that may include:
- what must be filed and when;
- how applications are made;
- what evidence the court expects;
- how vulnerable parties should participate;
- how domestic abuse and safeguarding issues are managed;
- how documents must be prepared;
- how experts are instructed;
- how appeals are brought;
- how digital or pilot procedures operate; and
- which procedure applies in a particular court area.
A provision saying that a party must do something is different from wording saying the court may do something or a party should take a particular step. Read the actual provision rather than reducing every Practice Direction to a checklist of absolute rules.
2. How to read a Practice Direction properly
A Practice Direction normally sits alongside a particular Part of the FPR.
It may apply only to children cases, appeals, financial remedies, experts or another defined category.
A new or amended PD may be published before it actually comes into force.
Part 36 Practice Directions often apply only for a stated period or in named court areas.
The wording helps identify whether the provision is mandatory, expected or discretionary.
Your own proceedings may contain specific directions and deadlines that need immediate compliance.
3. Find the Practice Direction by the problem you are dealing with
I need special measures or help participating
Vulnerability, giving evidence, participation directions and ground rules.
See PD3AA → FilingI need to email or file documents with the court
Email filing, permitted documents and communication with HMCTS.
See PD5B / PD5D → SafetyA party is living in a refuge
Service, protection of refuge details and safeguarding restrictions.
See PD6D → FinancesI am in financial remedy proceedings
Form E, disclosure, first appointments, FDR and financial-remedy procedure.
See PD9A → ChildrenI am in a child-arrangements case
The Child Arrangements Programme, safeguarding, FHDRA, evidence and enforcement.
See PD12B → Domestic abuseDomestic abuse or coercive control is alleged
Risk, fact-finding, interim contact, harm and final child-arrangements decisions.
See PD12J → Repeated applicationsThere is a section 91(14) order
Leave requirements and the protective-filter procedure.
See PD12Q → ExpertsAn expert is being proposed
Permission, single joint experts, expert duties and regulated-expert requirements.
See PD25B / PD25C → BundlesI need to prepare a hearing bundle
Bundle responsibility, contents, pagination, preliminary documents and deadlines.
See PD27A → AppealsI want to challenge a decision
Appeal routes, permission, notices, bundles, skeleton arguments and deadlines.
See PD30A → Child Focused ModelMy court is using the Pathfinder / Child Focused procedure
Investigative procedure, Child Impact Reports and pilot-specific rules.
See PD36Z → Digital procedureMy case is being managed online
Online systems for specified private-law children and protective-order proceedings.
See PD36ZD →4. Core Family Court Practice Directions explained
This is not an exhaustive list of every Family Practice Direction. It concentrates on the directions most likely to affect the JSH Law audience: private children proceedings, safeguarding, evidence, participation, court documents, financial remedies and appeals.
Vulnerable Persons: Participation and Giving Evidence
PD3AA supplements Part 3A and deals with identifying vulnerability and making participation directions so that a party or witness can participate effectively and give evidence without avoidable diminution in quality.
It addresses matters including:
- vulnerability;
- participation directions;
- giving evidence;
- ground rules hearings; and
- applications for measures to assist participation.
Communication, Filing and Bulk Scanning
PD5B governs communication and filing of specified Family Court documents by email. It does not mean that every document can simply be sent to any court email address and treated as properly filed.
PD5D deals with circumstances in which HMCTS requires specified documents to be sent through a designated third-party bulk-scanning process.
Service Where a Person May Be Residing in a Refuge
PD6D supplements rule 6.23A and creates specific safeguards where there are reasonable grounds to believe a person is residing in a refuge.
It contains strict protections against disclosure of refuge-identifying information and specific rules governing personal service.
Applications for a Financial Remedy
PD9A supplements Part 9 and provides substantial detail about financial-remedy procedure, including the pre-application protocol, financial statements, first appointments, FDR hearings, pensions and applications to set aside financial-remedy orders.
The Child Arrangements Programme
PD12B provides the principal procedural framework for many private-law disputes concerning arrangements for children where the Child Focused pilot procedure does not replace or modify it.
It covers:
- application and gatekeeping;
- safeguarding;
- the FHDRA;
- evidence and fact-finding;
- section 7 reports;
- Dispute Resolution Appointments; and
- enforcement.
Child Arrangements, Domestic Abuse and Harm
PD12J applies where domestic abuse is alleged, admitted or there is other reason to believe that a child or party has experienced, or may be at risk of, domestic abuse in relevant child-arrangements proceedings.
It governs issues including:
- early identification of domestic abuse;
- risk and safeguarding information;
- whether fact-finding is necessary;
- interim contact before disputed facts are determined;
- risk assessment;
- domestic abuse findings and welfare analysis; and
- the safety of contact arrangements.
Section 91(14) Orders
PD12Q governs orders under section 91(14) Children Act 1989, which can require a named person to obtain the court's permission before making specified future Children Act applications.
The Practice Direction describes the order as a protective filter made in the interests of children. It should not be treated simply as a punishment for bringing unsuccessful proceedings.
Transparency Orders and Communication of Information
PD12R came into force in January 2025 and provides the framework for the court giving permission to communicate information from specified Part 12 proceedings where qualifying reporters attend.
It deals with Transparency Orders, their content and the factors the court considers when deciding what information may be communicated.
Experts in Family and Children Proceedings
PD25B deals with an expert's duties, reports and attendance at court. PD25C deals specifically with use of expert evidence in children proceedings, including single joint experts, permission applications and letters of instruction.
From July 2026, the expert framework must also be read with the new regulated-expert provisions in Part 25.
Family Proceedings: Court Bundles
The replacement PD27A came into force on 2 March 2026 and now provides the principal Family Court bundle regime.
It deals with:
- who prepares the bundle;
- e-bundles and paper bundles;
- bundle contents;
- financial-remedy and other family proceedings;
- preliminary documents;
- length and formatting; and
- filing and preparation timetables.
Appeals
PD30A supplements Part 30 and sets out the procedural framework for appeals, including routes of appeal, grounds, permission, appellant's notices, appeal bundles, skeleton arguments and procedure after permission.
From March 2026, permission requirements were extended to specified decisions of lay justices, with corresponding provisions concerning Justices' Legal Advisers.
Private Law Reform: Investigative / Child Focused Approach
PD36Z creates the pilot procedural framework for specified private-law children applications in participating Family Court locations.
Its annex contains PD12B (Pilot), which modifies the traditional Child Arrangements Programme and supports what has developed into the Child Focused Court model.
The model includes different sequencing, investigative case management and Child Impact Report provisions.
Online Systems for Certain Private Law Proceedings
PD36ZD establishes an online-system pilot for specified private-law children, protective-order and appeal processes and modifies relevant rules and Practice Directions where the online system applies.
The practical effect is that the meaning of “file” or the method of making an application may differ where the digital pilot applies.
5. What has changed in the Practice Direction framework during 2026?
The most important 2026 changes for this page include:
- the replacement PD27A bundle regime from 2 March 2026;
- amendments to PD30A reflecting new appeal-permission requirements;
- the January amendments to PD12J, including holistic analysis of alleged patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour;
- amendments to PD25B and PD25C supporting the new regulated-expert regime;
- amendments to PD36Z and PD12B (Pilot) concerning the Child Focused Model and Child Impact Reports;
- express signposting to the Family/Criminal disclosure protocol in key children Practice Directions; and
- continuing extensions and amendments to digital and police-notification pilots.
For the detailed chronology, effective dates and current status of each amendment, use the JSH Law Family Procedure Rules: What's New tracker →
6. Common Practice Direction mistakes
- Reading only the FPR rule and not the supporting PD. The detailed procedural requirement may be in the Practice Direction.
- Reading a PD without checking its scope. A provision may apply only to particular proceedings.
- Relying on an old version. Family Practice Directions are amended regularly.
- Confusing a pilot with national procedure. Part 36 schemes frequently depend on court area and filing date.
- Ignoring transitional provisions. A new rule may not apply to proceedings issued before commencement.
- Assuming “should” and “must” mean the same thing. The wording matters.
- Assuming sending an email means a document was properly filed. PD5B and HMCTS email guidance must be checked.
- Following a generic website deadline instead of the latest sealed order. Case-specific directions must be read carefully.
7. Four examples of why Practice Directions matter
Part 27 tells you that the court can require a bundle. PD27A gives the detailed structure, preparation, content and timetable. The sealed order may then specify who prepares it in your case.
The Children Act provides the statutory welfare framework. PD12J tells the court how domestic abuse allegations and risk must be handled when child arrangements are being determined.
Knowing that a court has an email address is not enough. PD5B and HMCTS guidance determine what can be filed by email and the procedural conditions that apply.
Reading ordinary PD12B may not give you the complete procedure if PD36Z and PD12B (Pilot) apply in your court area. Pilot provisions can modify the ordinary procedure.
8. Using AI to understand a Practice Direction
AI can be useful for explaining unfamiliar procedural language, comparing different provisions or helping to build a checklist from a Practice Direction.
It is not safe to assume that an AI-generated answer has identified the current version, commencement date, pilot scope or transitional provision correctly.
Before relying on an AI-generated procedural answer:
- open the current official Practice Direction;
- check the relevant paragraph yourself;
- check the effective date;
- check whether the PD is a pilot;
- read the sealed order in your case; and
- keep the source link with your working notes.
9. Where to check the current Practice Direction
Practice Direction FAQs
Are Practice Directions legally important?
Yes. They form part of the procedural framework of Family Court proceedings and supplement the Family Procedure Rules. The consequence of a particular provision depends on its wording, scope and the court's procedural powers.
Are Practice Directions the same as legislation?
No. A Practice Direction is part of the procedural framework but is not the same thing as an Act of Parliament or statutory rule. It should be read with the relevant legislation and Family Procedure Rules.
Does every Practice Direction apply to every Family Court case?
No. Some apply to particular categories of proceedings, procedural tasks or court areas. Pilot Practice Directions can have defined geographical and time limits.
What if the court order gives a different deadline?
Read the sealed order carefully. Do not ignore it because a general guide or standard Practice Direction timetable says something different. If there appears to be a conflict or error, seek clarification or appropriate directions rather than making your own assumption.
What is the difference between PD12B and PD12J?
PD12B provides the general Child Arrangements Programme for many private-law children disputes. PD12J contains additional requirements where domestic abuse or risk of harm is alleged, admitted or otherwise raised.
What is the difference between PD12B and PD12B (Pilot)?
PD12B is the ordinary Child Arrangements Programme. PD12B (Pilot), annexed to PD36Z, applies within the investigative / Child Focused pilot scheme where the conditions of PD36Z are met and modifies the usual procedure.
How do I know whether a Practice Direction has changed?
Check the official Family Procedure Rules “What's New” page and the current version of the Practice Direction on Justice.gov.uk. For a practical summary, use the JSH Law FPR update tracker .
Knowing the Practice Direction is only useful if you know what it changes in your case
JSH Law can help litigants in person identify the relevant procedural framework, read it alongside the latest sealed order and turn it into the practical task that needs completing next.
That may involve filing, disclosure, a statement, evidence organisation, a bundle, a Cafcass response, hearing preparation or an application for further directions.
Book a 15-minute initial consultation