Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

First Appointment definition

What does First Appointment mean? In practice, the First Appointment is the first court hearing in divorce or civil partnership financial remedy proceedings, concerned with case management and disclosure rather than deciding the merits. In England and Wales it is also called the First Directions Appointment (FDA) and is provided for in the Family Procedure Rules, Part 9 and related Practice Directions. It follows issue of Form A. Before the hearing, parties exchange Form E and file a statement of issues, a chronology, any questionnaire on disclosure, and Form G on FDR readiness. At the hearing, the judge narrows the issues, decides which disclosure questions must...

Financial Remedies First Appointment: Procedure, Preparation, Costs, Experts and FDR Directions under FPR 2010, reflecting the 2026 Financial Remedies Guide (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

STOP PRESS:

The Financial Remedies Guide 2026, released 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 approval of the President of the Family Division, now supersedes 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)
the Allocation of financial remedies cases to High Court judge level (21 May 2024)

This document is being revised to reflect these developments. See News Analysis: Financial Remedies Guide consolidates existing guidance and efficiency statements...

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Web page updated on 28/05/2026

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