Family Procedure Rules (FPR) in 2026

Key changes to the Family Procedure Rules (FPR) in 2026 include stricter requirements for expert witnesses, new rules for court bundles, and guidelines on sharing information. These updates apply to the Family Court and Family Division of the High Court in England and Wales.

Regulation of Expert Witnesses: The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026 require that any expert providing evidence in children proceedings must be a "regulated expert." They must be registered with a UK statutory body (like the HCPC or GMC), an accredited Professional Standards Authority register, or an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007.

New Court Bundle Regulations: Practice Direction 27A (PD 27A) was revised to overhaul and modernise the preparation and filing of court bundles. It sets strict page limits for position statements, governs the filing of preliminary documents in financial remedy proceedings, and provides specific rules on authorities and hyperlinks.

Information Sharing: Amendments enable Practice Directions to set out clear administrative procedures for communicating or sharing information from financial remedy and children proceedings.

Practice Direction Updates: Practice Direction Update No. 1 of 2026 updates guidance across several existing practice directions, reflecting the changes in financial remedy and case management protocols.