Court Bundle Preparation for Self-Represented Litigants: A Practical Guide

What Is a Court Bundle, and Why Does the Court Want One?

When a judge sits down to hear your case, they do not have time to sift through a carrier bag of loose paperwork. They need every relevant document in one place, in a logical order, with page numbers they can refer to during the hearing.

That is what a court bundle is. It is a paginated, indexed collection of documents that tells the judge everything they need to know about your case. Think of it as the case file the judge will read cover to cover.

Courts require bundles because they make hearings run efficiently. A judge dealing with 15 cases in a single day cannot spend 20 minutes hunting for a document you mentioned in your statement. If they cannot find it quickly, they may simply move on without it.

Who Is Responsible for Preparing the Bundle?

In family proceedings the applicant normally prepares the bundle, but if the applicant is unrepresented and the respondent has a solicitor, the respondent's solicitor must do it (PD27A paras 4.5–4.6). In civil trials the claimant files it; if the claimant is unrepresented the court may direct another party to prepare it (PD 32 para 27.7).

Your directions order may say who must prepare and file the bundle, and by when. If it names you, the bundle is your responsibility.

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Paper Bundles vs Electronic Bundles

In family proceedings the default is now an e-bundle (PD27A para 4.2); other courts set their own rules.

Paper Bundles

A paper bundle goes into a ring binder (or lever arch file for larger bundles). Documents are separated by numbered dividers, and every page has a page number in the bottom right corner. You need to prepare copies: typically one for the judge, one for the witness box, and one for yourself.

Paper bundles are still used in some magistrates' courts and in hearings where judges specifically request them. Check your directions order.

Electronic Bundles (E-Bundles)

An e-bundle is a single PDF file with a clickable index, sequential page numbers, and bookmarks so the judge can jump between documents. Practice Direction 27A sets out the requirements for family proceedings; other jurisdictions have their own rules (for example, the Civil Procedure Rules for civil claims, the Criminal Procedure Rules for criminal proceedings, and the relevant tribunal procedure rules for tribunal hearings).

Under PD27A, e-bundles must be:

• A single PDF file (not multiple separate files)
• Paginated in the format required by the governing practice direction (Bates A1, A2, B1, B2 … for Family proceedings other than financial remedy; Arabic 1, 2, 3 … for financial remedy; check the rules for your own jurisdiction)
• Indexed with a table of contents listing every document and its page number
• Bookmarked so the judge can click to navigate
• OCR-processed (text-searchable) where possible

Most courts now prefer e-bundles. They are easier to file, cheaper to produce, and allow the judge to search for specific words.

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What Practice Direction 27A Requires

If your case is in the Family Court or the Family Division of the High Court, Practice Direction 27A governs how your bundle must be prepared. If your case is elsewhere, you will need to check the practice direction or rules that actually apply to your court — for example, CPR Part 39 / PD 32 for civil claims, the Criminal Procedure Rules for criminal proceedings, or the relevant tribunal procedure rules for tribunal hearings. The principles in PD27A (a clear index, sequential pagination, bookmarks, OCR'd PDFs) are a useful starting point, but the rules that bind you are the ones specific to your jurisdiction.

The Key Requirements

Page limit: The bundle should not exceed 350 pages unless the court has given permission for a longer bundle. If your case genuinely needs more than 350 pages, write to the court explaining why and asking for permission before filing.

Pagination: PD27A uses two different numbering schemes depending on the type of proceedings. For all Family proceedings except financial remedy (private law children, public law children, Family Law Act applications, adoption, and similar), Chapter 7.2 requires Bates numbering — each section has a letter and each page in the section is numbered from 1, so the bundle reads A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3 … and the numbers restart in each section. For financial remedy proceedings only, Chapter 6.2 requires consecutive Arabic numbering (1, 2, 3 …) running through the whole bundle, matched to PDF page labels. In non-financial-remedy bundles the index sits at the front and is not paginated (para 7.2(b)); in financial remedy bundles the page numbering must match the PDF page numbers whether or not the index is paginated (para 6.2(d)).

Index: The bundle must begin with an index (PD27A paras 6.2(c), 7.2(b)); listing each document with its date and starting page is good practice.

Sections: Documents should be organised into sections. For Family proceedings other than financial remedy, PD27A Ch 7.3 sets out sections A–I (with D onwards contingent on the case having that content):

Financial remedy proceedings use a different, shorter section list under Ch 6.3. Always check the chapter that applies to your case.

Filing deadline: PD27A para 13.2: parties seek to agree the contents 7 working days before the hearing; the bundle is served and filed 5 working days before; preliminary documents by 11am on the working day before. Your directions order may set different dates.

Format: For e-bundles, the PDF must be text-searchable with a resolution sufficient for reading but not so high that the file becomes unmanageably large. Keep the resolution no higher than 300 dpi and optimise the file size (PD27A para 11.2(j)); check any upload limit with the court.

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Step-by-Step: Preparing Your Bundle

Step 1: Read Your Directions Order Carefully

Before you do anything else, re-read the court's directions order. It will tell you:

• Who is responsible for preparing the bundle
• What documents must be included
• The filing deadline
• Whether the court wants a paper bundle, an e-bundle, or both
• Any specific requirements for your particular hearing

If the order says "the parties shall agree the contents of the bundle," you need to contact the other party (or their solicitor) and agree which documents go in. You cannot just include whatever you want.

Step 2: Gather Every Relevant Document

Go through your case file and collect:

• The application form that started proceedings (C100, C1, FL401, Form A, or whatever applies to your case)
• The response from the other party
• All court orders made so far, in date order
• Your witness statement(s) and the other party's statements
• Expert reports (if any have been ordered)
• Supporting evidence that the court has directed to be included
• Position statements (if required for this hearing)

Do not include documents the court has not asked for. If the directions order says "the bundle shall contain the documents set out in the schedule," include only those documents.

Step 3: Remove Duplicates and Irrelevant Material

This is where many self-represented litigants go wrong. You do not need to include every text message, every email, or every photograph you have. Include only what is relevant to the issues the court will decide at this hearing. In family proceedings, texts, emails, WhatsApp messages and photographs must not be included unless the court directs otherwise or a specific one is necessary for the court to read (PD27A para 5.2).

Ask yourself: "Will the judge need to read this document to make a decision?" If the answer is no, leave it out. A bundle stuffed with irrelevant material annoys judges and buries your important evidence.

Step 4: Put Documents in the Correct Order

Follow the section structure set out in PD27A (or in your directions order if it specifies a different structure). Within each section, documents should be in chronological order, with the oldest document first.

A common mistake: putting documents in the order you received them rather than the order they were created. A witness statement dated 15 January goes before one dated 3 March, regardless of when you received them.

Step 5: Paginate the Bundle

Paginate according to the scheme that applies to your proceedings. For Family proceedings other than financial remedy, number each page within its section starting at 1, with the section letter as the prefix — A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3 …. Numbers restart at 1 in every new section. For financial remedy only, number pages consecutively in Arabic 1, 2, 3 … through the whole bundle, matched to the PDF page labels.

For paper bundles, write the label in the bottom right corner of every page, or use a stamp.

For e-bundles, the PDF page labels must match the labels in the index. This sounds obvious, but it trips people up constantly. If your index says a document starts at B3, the PDF must display B3 when that page is on screen.

Step 6: Create the Index

The index is the first page (or pages) of your bundle. It should list:

• The section letter
• The document name
• The date of the document
• The page or Bates label where it starts

Here is an example (Family proceedings other than financial remedy):

Step 7: Check and Double-Check

Before you file the bundle, go through this checklist:

• Every document listed in the index actually appears in the bundle at the page number stated
• Page numbers run sequentially with no gaps or duplicates
• All pages are the right way up and legible
• The bundle does not exceed 350 pages (or you have permission for a longer bundle)
• Documents are in the correct sections and in chronological order within each section
• The bundle is a single PDF (for e-bundles), not multiple files
• Text is searchable (for e-bundles)

Step 8: File and Serve the Bundle

File the bundle with the court by the deadline in your directions order. Use the HMCTS upload portal where one is available; otherwise email the court (PD27A para 14.2(b)–(c)).

You must also serve a copy on the other party (or their solicitor) by the same deadline. Keep proof that you served it, whether that is a read receipt, a posting receipt, or a screenshot of an email confirmation.

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Common Mistakes That Get Bundles Rejected

These are the errors that cause the most problems:

No index. A bundle without an index is barely a bundle at all. The judge has no way to find anything. Non-compliance can lead the court to take the case out of the list or order costs (PD27A para 3.1).

Page numbers that do not match the index. If your index says a document starts at page 42 but it actually starts at page 47, the judge loses confidence in your entire bundle.

Including everything you have. A 600-page bundle for a 30-minute hearing tells the judge you have not thought about what matters. Judges read bundles the evening before your hearing. They have limited time. Respect it.

Illegible documents. Blurry photographs, faded photocopies, and sideways scans waste the court's time. If a document is not legible, either get a better copy or do not include it.

Missing documents the other party agreed to include. If you agreed the bundle contents with the opposing party and then left something out, you will be asked to explain why. This does not look good.

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What to Do If You Are Running Out of Time

If the filing deadline is approaching and your bundle is not ready, you have limited options:

Apply for an extension. Write to the court immediately (with a copy to the other party) explaining why you need more time and asking for the deadline to be extended. Be honest and specific. "I am a litigant in person and have underestimated the time required to prepare the bundle" is a legitimate reason. Being unrepresented may justify allowances in case management, but it will not usually justify a lower standard of compliance with rules or orders (Barton v Wright Hassall LLP [2018] UKSC 12 at [18]).

File what you have. A partially complete bundle filed on time is better than a perfect bundle filed late. If you have most documents but are still working on pagination, file what you have and ask the court for permission to file a corrected version.

Do not simply ignore the deadline. Failing to file a bundle can result in your evidence being excluded, the hearing being adjourned (with costs against you), or in extreme cases, your application being struck out.

Contact the other party. If the other side has a solicitor, they may be willing to help with the bundle or take over preparation. Solicitors have a professional obligation to assist the court, and many will cooperate with a reasonable request from a litigant in person. In family proceedings, if you are the unrepresented applicant and the respondent has a solicitor, the respondent's solicitor is responsible for the bundle (PD27A para 4.6).

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A Note on Costs

Preparing a court bundle yourself costs nothing beyond your time and the cost of printing (if you need paper copies). But your time has value, and the risk of getting it wrong can be expensive.

If your bundle is non-compliant, PD27A Ch 3.1 expressly allows the court to remove the case from the list, put the case further back in the list, or make adverse or wasted costs orders. Adjournments also delay the resolution of your case by weeks or months.

Some litigants in person use unbundled legal services, where a solicitor prepares the bundle for a fixed fee without taking on the whole case. See our guide on unbundled solicitor services for more details.

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Tips for Self-Represented Litigants

Start early. Do not leave bundle preparation until the last minute. Start gathering documents as soon as you receive the directions order.

Keep a master list. As your case progresses, maintain a running list of every document created or received. Note the date, what it is, and where you have saved it. This makes bundle preparation much easier later.

Ask the court staff. Court clerks cannot give you legal advice, but they can tell you practical things like how the court prefers to receive e-bundles, what email address to use, and the maximum file size they accept.

Read the judge's perspective. Read the judiciary's guide Preparing Court Bundles for Family Proceedings: Guide for Litigants in Person (https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/preparing-court-bundles-for-family-proceedings-guide-for-litigants-in-person/).

Use consistent formatting. If you are creating documents like position statements or chronologies, use a standard font (Arial or Times New Roman), 1.5 or double line spacing, font no smaller than 12pt (PD27A para 11.2(k)–(l)), and A4 page size. Consistency makes your bundle look professional.

Number your exhibits. If you are attaching documents to a witness statement as exhibits, number them (Exhibit AB1, Exhibit AB2, and so on, using your initials). Reference them in your statement by number so the judge can find them.

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How BundleCreator Can Help

Preparing a court bundle manually is time-consuming and error-prone, particularly if you have not done it before. BundleCreator is designed to produce the pagination, indexing and formatting aligned with PD27A, so you can focus on the substance of your case rather than wrestling with page numbers. It is designed specifically for litigants in person and legal professionals working with UK courts. You can try it with a 7-day trial to see if it saves you time.