Financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment meaning

STOP PRESS: The Financial Remedies Guide 2026 Issued on 13 March 2026 by Mr Justice Peel (National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court) and His Honour Judge Hess (Deputy National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court), and approved by the President of the Family Division, this Guide supplants and replaces the following: the Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy cases allocated to a High Court judge whether sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice or elsewhere (1 February 2016) (the High Court judge level efficiency statement) the Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy hearings proceeding in the Financial Remedies Court below High Court judge level (11 January 2022) (the below High Court judge level efficiency statement) the Financial Remedies Court Primary Principles document (11 January 2022) the Notice from the Financial Remedies Court: electronic bundles (19 April 2022) and the Allocation of financial remedies cases to High Court judge level (21 May 2024) ...

STOP PRESS The Financial Remedies Guide 2026, issued on 13 March 2026 by Mr Justice Peel (National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court) and His Honour Judge Hess (Deputy National Lead Judge), with the President of the Family Division’s approval, now replaces and supersedes: Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy cases allocated to a High Court judge (1 February 2016) Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy hearings in the Financial Remedies Court below High Court judge level (11 January 2022) Financial Remedies Court Primary Principles (11 January 2022) Notice from the Financial Remedies Court: electronic bundles (19 April 2022) Allocation of financial remedies cases to High Court judge level (21 May 2024) This document is being updated to reflect those changes. See News Analysis: Financial Remedies Guide consolidates existing guidance and efficiency statements. The flowchart summarises the path from first appointment to the financial dispute resolution hearing (FDR) under the standard procedure, covering...

GH v GH [2024] EWHC 2547 (Fam) What are the practical implications of this case? Mr Justice Peel stated that the financial dispute resolution hearing (FDR) — covering the increasingly favoured private FDR — is a fundamental step in the court process. It is treated as an essential part of that process. Dispensing with an FDR will be exceptionally rare, save perhaps where a party has entirely failed to engage, or in other similarly narrow circumstances. Whilst other scenarios might be advanced to move from the first appointment straight to a final hearing without an FDR, such instances will be uncommon in the extreme, genuinely very few and far between... What was the background? What was the background?...

Reviewing 2017 This year’s annual review reflects on the most notable developments in family financial provision during 2017, spanning the sharing principle and non-matrimonial property, contributions and stellar performance, variation of financial orders, and fresh guidance from the President of the Family Division on standard orders and the Financial Remedies Court. It also outlines updates to LexisNexis®’s content and what lies ahead over the next 12 months. Practice and procedure What happened? The Family Procedure (Amendment No 2) Rules 2017, SI 2017/741 revised the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, r 9.15, so that all matters should be listed for a financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment, except in defined situations. What are the practical implications? Before these changes, FPR 2010, r 9.15(4) required the court at the first appointment to decide if an FDR referral was suitable and, if so, to order that an FDR take place. FPR 2010, SI 2010/2955, r 9.15(4) now provides that the court must direct a referral...

Accelerated first appointment procedure This Practice Note reviews the accelerated first appointment route described in the Financial remedies guide (March 2026) (the FRG). It explains when it may properly be invoked, the compliance steps required to follow the procedure, the way an application is ultimately decided, and the circumstances in which it is not available for use. It further covers preparing an agreed directions order, use of the financial remedies online platform, and provision for a private financial dispute resolution appointment. In the Financial Remedies Court, first appointments may appropriately be managed by an accelerated process (distinct from the fast‑track procedure and the express financial remedy procedure pilot). Parties at every judicial tier are ‘encouraged’ to settle directions by consent in accordance with this model, thereby dispensing with the attendance of parties and legal representatives at the first appointment hearing. The scheme originated in the Primary Principles document issued with the Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy hearings in the Financial Remedies Court below High Court judge...

STOP PRESS The Financial Remedies Guide 2026, issued on 13 March 2026 by Mr Justice Peel (National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court) and His Honour Judge Hess (Deputy National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court), with the endorsement of the President of the Family Division, now supersedes and takes precedence over the following: Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy cases allocated to a High Court judge whether sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice or elsewhere (1 February 2016) (the High Court judge level efficiency statement) Statement on the efficient conduct of financial remedy hearings proceeding in the Financial Remedies Court below High Court judge level (11 January 2022) (the below High Court judge level efficiency statement) Financial Remedies Court Primary Principles document (11 January 2022) Notice from the Financial Remedies Court: electronic bundles (19 April 2022) Allocation of financial remedies cases to High Court judge level (21 May 2024) This document is in...

Costs estimate to final hearing Dear [ insert client name ] Following the financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment on [ insert date ], I am providing a summary of costs up to and including the final hearing listed for [ insert date ] in this matter. As outlined in our terms of business dated [ insert date ], my hourly rate stands at £[ insert amount ] [ plus VAT ]. [ insert name ] will continue to oversee the matter overall and will provide input into preparation for the final hearing. To control expenditure, tasks will, where appropriate, be allocated to other fee earners within the team who work at different hourly rates. For your information and records, I enclose a schedule detailing our hourly rates...