© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.The Family Court Case Audit: 12 Documents to Organise Before Asking for Help
This family court document checklist helps litigants in person organise the orders, applications, statements, reports, evidence and correspondence that may matter before asking someone to review their case.
Family Court Preparation • Evidence • Documents • Deadlines
The Family Court Case Audit: 12 Document Groups to Organise
A practical checklist for litigants in person who need to turn an overwhelming collection of orders, statements, messages and reports into a clear picture of the case.
Family Court cases become difficult to manage surprisingly quickly.
A single application can generate court orders, notices, witness statements, Cafcass material, police disclosure, school records, messages, professional correspondence and several versions of documents that all look almost identical.
Once those materials become mixed together, even basic questions become difficult:
- What is the latest order?
- What is the next deadline?
- What is the next hearing actually for?
- What evidence has already been filed?
- What remains disputed?
- What is still missing?
- What does the court need to decide next?
A case audit brings those answers back into focus.
You should be able to understand the procedural position of your own case without opening 200 separate files.
What is a Family Court case audit?
A case audit is a structured review of:
- what documents you hold;
- what has already happened procedurally;
- what the court has ordered;
- which issues remain live;
- what evidence exists;
- what material may be missing; and
- what must happen next.
It sits between an unorganised archive and the much more selective bundle that may eventually be prepared for a particular hearing.
The “12 documents” in this guide are really 12 document groups. You may have several documents within one group, and some categories may not apply at all.
Keep complete original material safely and avoid altering potentially relevant evidence.
Separate orders, evidence, professional material, correspondence and working documents.
Identify what has happened procedurally and what remains outstanding.
Work backwards from the next deadline, hearing and decision the court must make.
Before sorting everything: find these four things first
If your case papers are already overwhelming, do not begin by trying to organise every screenshot.
Start with four documents or answers.
What did the court last direct?
When is it, what type is it and what is it for?
What must you file, serve, provide or do next?
What decision is actually before the court?
The 12 Family Court document groups to organise
Work from copies wherever possible. Keep original electronic files, complete threads and unedited source material separately and securely.
1. Court orders
Start with the latest sealed order, then collect earlier orders that remain relevant.
An order may tell you:
- what the court decided;
- what evidence must be filed;
- what another party or professional must do;
- what the next hearing is;
- who must prepare the bundle;
- what timetable applies; and
- whether any particular issue will be determined next.
Do not rely on memory of what was said during the hearing where a written order exists.
If the sealed order appears inconsistent with what the judge actually directed, do not simply rewrite it yourself. Raise the apparent error promptly through the proper route.
2. Applications and formal responses
Collect the applications currently before the court and any formal responses.
Depending on the case, these might include:
- C100;
- C1A;
- C2;
- C79;
- FL401;
- applications relating to parental responsibility;
- appeal documents; or
- other prescribed forms.
Keep any supporting statement or attachment filed with the application.
Label drafts clearly so they are not confused with the version actually filed.
3. Hearing notices and deadline tracker
Keep notices confirming when, where and how each hearing will take place.
Record:
- date and time;
- hearing type;
- estimated length;
- whether it is remote, in person or hybrid;
- documents required beforehand;
- filing and service deadlines; and
- who is responsible for each task.
Put deadlines into one calendar rather than leaving them scattered across orders and emails.
4. Your witness statements and exhibits
Keep the exact final version of every witness statement you have filed or served.
Keep drafts separate.
Check that you have:
- the full statement;
- the final date;
- the signature where applicable;
- the statement of truth;
- the exhibits referred to; and
- a record of when and how it was filed or served.
If you later spot an error, make a note of it. Do not silently amend the filed version and then forget which version the court actually has.
5. Other parties’ statements and evidence
Keep the other party’s evidence separately from your own.
Retain complete statements rather than relying on your summary of them.
When reviewing the material, distinguish:
- agreed facts;
- disputed allegations;
- admissions;
- professional opinion;
- matters on which findings have already been made; and
- matters that do not appear relevant to the current hearing.
6. Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru, guardian and local-authority material
Gather relevant professional reports and letters, including where applicable:
- Cafcass safeguarding letters;
- Cafcass Cymru material;
- section 7 reports;
- child impact reports;
- local-authority assessments;
- children’s guardian reports; and
- addenda or updated recommendations.
Keep earlier versions where they remain relevant.
If you disagree with a report, record the precise paragraph, factual issue, supporting evidence and practical significance.
“Cafcass is biased” is not a useful case-audit category. “Paragraph 34 says X; school record D42 records Y” is.
7. Expert, medical, school, police and agency records
This category may include:
- expert reports;
- GP or hospital material;
- school and SEND records;
- police disclosure;
- social-care records;
- contact-centre records; and
- other professional material obtained lawfully.
Record the source and date.
Keep complete records where appropriate rather than extracting one sentence and losing the surrounding context.
Remember that an allegation recorded in a professional note does not automatically become a finding merely because a professional recorded it.
8. Schedules of allegations, issues or findings
If the court has directed a schedule, keep:
- the correct court-directed format;
- your filed version;
- the other party’s response;
- any composite version; and
- any eventual findings made by the court.
Keep allegation, response, evidence and finding separate.
Repetition does not transform an allegation into an established fact.
In private children proceedings involving domestic abuse, Practice Direction 12J may be relevant.
9. Messages, emails and communication evidence
Relevant communications may include:
- emails;
- SMS messages;
- WhatsApp;
- parenting-app messages;
- social-media communications;
- call logs; and
- voice notes where lawfully held and relevant.
Preserve the most complete original record available.
A screenshot may omit the sender, timestamp or surrounding conversation. If you prepare excerpts for analysis, retain the full thread separately.
Do not splice or crop material in a way that changes its meaning.
10. Court and professional correspondence
Keep emails and letters from:
- the court;
- other parties;
- solicitors;
- Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru;
- experts;
- schools;
- local authorities; and
- other relevant professionals.
A useful tracker can show:
- request sent;
- date sent;
- recipient;
- response due;
- response received; and
- follow-up required.
Keep privileged, confidential or “without prejudice” correspondence clearly marked and separate where appropriate.
11. Judgments, transcripts and hearing notes
Keep any:
- written judgment;
- approved reasons;
- official transcript;
- sealed order;
- approved hearing note;
- recording request; and
- personal note of hearing.
Label a personal note accurately.
A note made by a party can be useful, but it is not automatically an official transcript or definitive record of the judge’s reasons.
12. Your working case overview, chronology and issues list
This final category is the bridge between having documents and understanding the case.
Your working pack should ideally contain:
- a one-page case overview;
- a concise chronology;
- a list of current issues;
- the orders you seek;
- your next hearing and deadline;
- a list of missing documents;
- a list of evidence still required;
- a short safeguarding summary where relevant; and
- the specific questions on which you need assistance.
This is not necessarily material you file with the court. Much of it is a working case-management tool for you.
A simple Family Court folder system
You do not need specialist case-management software to improve your organisation.
A simple numbered folder structure can work well.
| Folder | Contents |
|---|---|
| 00 | Case overview, deadlines, issues and missing-document list |
| 01 | Court orders |
| 02 | Applications and responses |
| 03 | Your witness statements and exhibits |
| 04 | Other parties’ statements and exhibits |
| 05 | Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru, local authority and guardian material |
| 06 | Medical, school, police and expert material |
| 07 | Schedules, issues and findings |
| 08 | Messages and communication evidence |
| 09 | Correspondence |
| 10 | Judgments, transcripts and hearing notes |
| 11 | Working chronology, analysis and hearing preparation |
Use filenames that tell you what the file is
A useful format is:
For example:
Keep originals, filed versions and drafts separate
- Original source material: untouched files, original exports and complete records.
- Filed / served material: the exact versions actually used in proceedings.
- Working material: drafts, extracts, notes, schedules and analysis still being prepared.
Your case archive, case audit and court bundle are not the same thing
This distinction is extremely important.
The wider body of material you preserve securely.
Your organised understanding of the case, evidence, gaps, deadlines and issues.
The selected material required for a particular hearing under the court’s directions and PD27A.
The fact that something is relevant enough to preserve does not automatically mean it belongs in the hearing bundle.
Likewise, leaving material out of the hearing bundle does not mean you should destroy it.
What the 2026 Family Court bundle rules mean in practice
The current Practice Direction 27A came into force on 2 March 2026.
It applies to Family Court and Family Division bundles across England and Wales, subject to case-specific directions and limited exceptions.
The bundle is ordinarily electronic
Under the current Practice Direction, the default is an e-bundle unless the court considers there are exceptional circumstances.
Who prepares the bundle?
Subject to the court’s directions, the usual starting point is that the applicant prepares, files and serves the bundle.
However, where the applicant is a litigant in person and a respondent is legally represented, the represented respondent is ordinarily responsible.
Where all parties are litigants in person and none is able to prepare the bundle, the court may exceptionally direct HMCTS to prepare one.
Do not put the whole archive into the bundle
PD27A requires the bundle to contain only material relevant to the hearing that the court actually needs to read or that will be referred to.
The Practice Direction specifically warns against automatically including large categories such as:
- routine correspondence;
- emails and message threads;
- social-media communications;
- voice notes and recordings;
- financial records;
- contact logs;
- social-services files; and
- photographs.
Individual documents from those categories can still be included where they are actually necessary for the hearing or will be referred to.
The current default bundle timetable
Subject to any different direction made in your case, PD27A currently provides:
- 7 working days before the hearing: parties should seek to agree the bundle contents;
- 5 working days before: the main bundle should ordinarily be served and filed; and
- 11:00am on the working day before: outstanding preliminary documents should ordinarily be filed and served.
Do not rely on the general timetable without reading your own order.
There are page and document limits
The current Practice Direction includes limits for several documents unless the court directs otherwise, including:
- case summary: 6 pages;
- statement of issues: 2 pages;
- chronology: 10 pages;
- list of essential reading: 1 page;
- witness statement or affidavit: 25 pages excluding exhibits; and
- expert or other report: 40 pages including a short executive summary.
There are also overall bundle-size and formatting requirements.
The JSH Six-Question Case Audit
Once the papers are organised, test the case against six questions.
What does the court actually need to decide?
What document or source supports each important proposition?
Do apparently separate events form a material sequence or pattern?
Why does the point matter to the child, safeguarding, procedure or fairness?
Which live issue requires judicial determination now?
What precise and workable direction or order are you seeking?
This turns a document collection into case analysis.
How to identify missing documents and evidence gaps
A case audit should not only tell you what you have. It should reveal what you do not have.
Create a missing-material table.
| Missing item | Why it matters | Who may hold it? | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latest sealed order | Contains current directions and deadlines | Court | Request copy / follow up |
| School attendance record | Relevant to disputed school-attendance issue | School | Check whether disclosure is appropriate / directed |
| Cafcass addendum | Expected before next hearing | Cafcass | Check order and filing date |
Not every missing document should automatically be requested.
Ask first:
- Is it relevant?
- Is it proportionate?
- Is it already somewhere else in the papers?
- Do you have a lawful route to obtain it?
- Does the court need to direct disclosure?
- Will it actually assist with a live issue?
Using AI to organise Family Court documents safely
AI can help with case organisation, but this is also an area where mistakes can multiply quickly.
Potentially useful tasks include:
- creating a folder structure;
- standardising filenames;
- sorting verified dates;
- building a document index;
- identifying apparent duplicates;
- turning verified events into a working chronology;
- checking which documents are referred to in an order; and
- creating a missing-document tracker.
Be particularly careful with confidential information.
Do not automatically upload an unredacted Family Court bundle, medical record, police disclosure, school file or Cafcass report to a public or unverified AI service.
Where possible, minimise data. Use neutral labels such as Applicant, Respondent and Child A and provide only the material genuinely needed for the task.
Warning signs that your Family Court papers need attention
A structured review is particularly worthwhile if:
- you cannot immediately find the latest sealed order;
- you do not know your next filing deadline;
- drafts and filed versions are mixed together;
- important documents exist only as attachments buried inside emails;
- you have hundreds of screenshots but no complete message exports;
- the same document exists under several different filenames;
- you are unsure which Cafcass report is current;
- you cannot distinguish allegation from finding;
- you have no usable chronology;
- you have no list of outstanding disclosure;
- you do not know what the next hearing is meant to decide; or
- you cannot state the order you want the court to make.
What if my case concerns financial remedies?
Financial remedy proceedings involve additional disclosure and procedural documents.
These may include:
- Form E;
- bank and investment statements;
- pension information;
- mortgage material;
- property valuations;
- business documents;
- questionnaires and replies;
- ES1 and ES2 where required;
- open proposals;
- without prejudice proposals; and
- hearing-specific preliminary documents.
The principles of preservation, organisation and version control still apply, but financial remedy procedure has its own requirements.
What to prepare before asking someone to help with your case
You do not need to explain the entire history in your first email or introductory call.
Prepare a short summary containing:
- your role in the proceedings;
- the type of case;
- what application is before the court;
- the date and purpose of the next hearing;
- your next deadline;
- the date of the latest sealed order;
- what document or task you need help with;
- the outcome or direction you are seeking; and
- any immediate safeguarding or accessibility issue that affects the work.
Unless requested through an appropriate route, do not begin by sending an entire unredacted case archive.
- the latest sealed order;
- the current application;
- the most relevant recent report;
- a one-page case overview;
- a short chronology; and
- a clear description of the task you need completed.
This allows paid review time to focus on the real work rather than reconstructing the file from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need all 12 document groups?
No. The relevant documents depend on your case. The checklist is designed to help identify what exists, what matters and what may be missing.
Is a case audit the same as preparing a court bundle?
No. A case audit helps you understand the wider file. A hearing bundle is a selected set of documents prepared in accordance with the court’s directions and PD27A.
Should every message go into my court bundle?
No. Preserve relevant source material, but current PD27A specifically discourages indiscriminate inclusion of emails, texts, WhatsApp messages and social-media communications. Include specific communications only where they are genuinely necessary for the hearing or will actually be referred to.
Can I delete evidence that harms my case?
Do not delete, alter or conceal potentially relevant material simply because it appears unhelpful. Preserve original material and comply with orders and any applicable disclosure obligations.
What if a represented party is preparing the bundle?
You should still understand the bundle contents and check the index, pagination and relevant directions. Raise genuine omissions through the proper process.
Who is responsible for preparing the bundle if I am the applicant?
Under the current default rules, the applicant normally prepares, files and serves it. However, if the applicant is a litigant in person and a respondent is legally represented, the represented respondent will ordinarily be responsible, subject always to any different direction from the court.
Can JSH Law conduct my case or file documents for me?
JSH Law provides defined-task practical litigation support. It does not act as solicitor on the record or conduct litigation on your behalf. You remain responsible for filing, service, deadlines, compliance with court orders and the conduct of your proceedings.
Turn an Overwhelming Case File Into a Clear Plan
JSH Law can help organise Family Court papers, identify the procedural position, build a chronology, review evidence and prepare clear working documents for the next hearing or deadline.
Book a 15-minute introductory telephone consultation to discuss the defined task you need help with.
An introductory call does not itself constitute legal advice or create a solicitor-client relationship.
Official guidance and further reading
- Practice Direction 27A – Family Proceedings: Court Bundles
- Judiciary – Preparing Court Bundles for Family Proceedings: Guide for Litigants in Person
- Family Procedure Rules Part 27
- Practice Direction 12B – Child Arrangements Programme
- Practice Direction 12J – Child Arrangements and Domestic Abuse and Harm
© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.
© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.
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