PD27A Pagination and Indexing Requirements 2026

Last updated: 24 April 2026

Quick answer

Practice Direction 27A splits pagination by proceedings type. Non-financial-remedy Family proceedings (children, FLA, adoption) use Bates numbering — letters per section, numbers restarting in each: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 (Ch 7.2). Financial remedy proceedings use Arabic numbering consecutive through the whole bundle, matched to PDF page labels (Ch 6.2). Both require a hyperlinked index, OCR, bookmarks, and Arial or Times New Roman at 12pt minimum.

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Understanding Practice Direction 27A

Practice Direction 27A governs court bundles in family proceedings. The current version came into force on 2 March 2026 and was amended on 24 March 2026 by FPR Practice Direction Update No 1 of 2026 (the 24 March amendment was clarifying only — it did not change the pagination rules). The PD applies to all hearings in the Family Division of the High Court and the family court across England and Wales, and covers both e-bundles (the default) and paper bundles.

The PD itself defines Bates numbering at paragraph 1.2:

"Bates numbering" is a numbering system where each section of a bundle is denoted by a letter, with each page in that section also being numbered, so that the first section begins at page A1, then page A2 and so on, and the second section begins at page B1, then page B2 and so on, through each section.

That is the entire rule. Each new section restarts at 1 with its own letter prefix.

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2026 pagination requirements

Chapter 6 — financial remedy proceedings: Arabic numbering

For financial remedy (divorce finances, financial relief under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s. 25, Sch 1 CA 1989 applications, etc.), PD27A Ch 6.2 requires:

• Chronological arrangement within sections
• Arabic numbering, consecutive and individual, running through the whole bundle
• Index at the beginning
• E-bundle PDF numbering must match the pagination (this alignment is now mandatory — 11.2(c))
• Sections divided by numbered blank dividers

Output is simply 1, 2, 3 … 347. No section letter prefix. The practical strength of Arabic numbering for financial remedy bundles is that everyone in the hearing — advocate, opponent, judge — can refer to "page 212" with no ambiguity.

Chapter 7 — all other Family proceedings: Bates numbering

For all non-financial-remedy Family proceedings, PD27A Ch 7.2 requires:

• Chronological arrangement within sections
• Index at the beginning (unpaginated)
• Sections divided by numbered blank dividers
• Bates numbering pagination system (section letter + number, numbers restart at 1 in each new section)

The output across the standard sections (Ch 7.3) is:

Numbers never continue across sections. Section B opens at B1, not at the next number after the last document of section A. This is the point most commonly misunderstood, and getting it wrong exposes you to the Ch 3 non-compliance consequences (case removed from list, postponement, adverse costs, wasted costs).

Why Bates for children's cases and Arabic for financial remedy

Bates numbering permits incremental updating without renumbering every page downstream. Children's proceedings run over many hearings and months; documents are filed in waves. A bundle paginated 1 … 437 at first hearing would need re-pagination every time a new witness statement is added. Bates lets you just append C8, C9 to the statements section without disturbing the rest.

Financial remedy bundles are typically assembled in one hit for each hearing (First Appointment, FDR, Final), so the single-sequence simplicity of Arabic numerals works better there.

Subsequent hearings (7.16)

For non-financial-remedy bundles filed at later hearings in the same case:

• New documents are added to the end of the relevant section
• Bates numbering continues within that section only (e.g. if section C ended at C7 at first hearing and two new statements are filed, they become C8 and C9)
• Superseded documents are removed
• The rest of the bundle's numbering is undisturbed

Page-number placement

Dealing with exhibits

The PD27A per-document page cap for witness statements is 25 pages exclusive of exhibits (Ch 8.1). Exhibits are paginated inside the main Bates or Arabic sequence — they do not get their own lettered sub-sequence unless the court specifically directs.

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2026 indexing requirements

What the index must include

Para 11.2(d) for e-bundles requires:

• Each index entry added as a link in the indexed document
• All significant documents and sections bookmarked with short descriptions and page numbers
• Bundle searchable where possible

Index structure example (non-financial-remedy, Bates)

Here is a properly formatted index for a Child Arrangements Order bundle using Bates numbering:

Hyperlinked index (electronic bundles)

For e-bundles, Para 11.2(d) requires each significant document and section to be bookmarked with short descriptions and page numbers. Clicking an entry should navigate directly to that document within the PDF.

Technical requirements:

• Every entry clickable
• Links go to the exact page
• Links tested before submission
• Index appears as the first page(s) of the bundle

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Electronic bundle specifications (PD27A Chapter 11)

Subject to case-specific court directions, every e-bundle must meet all of the following (Ch 11.2):

| (a) Format | PDF only | | (b) Page limit | Maximum 350 pages (A4 size); exceeding requires court permission | | (c) Page numbering | Computer-generated only; Arabic for Ch 6, Bates for Ch 7; PDF page labels match pagination for financial remedy | | (d) Indexing | Each index entry linked; significant documents and sections bookmarked; searchable where possible | | (e) OCR | All typed text pages OCR'd if not directly electronic | | (f) Orientation | Landscape pages appear landscape; no sideways or upside-down pages | | (g) Page view | Default 100% | | (j) Resolution | Not exceeding 300 dpi; electronically optimised | | (k) Spacing | Minimum 12 point, 1.5 or double line spacing, margins each side | | (l) Typeface | Arial or Times New Roman — the PD explicitly notes Arial as "generally more accessible to neurodiverse readers" |

Bundle page cap and document page caps

E-bundles are capped at 350 pages A4. Paper bundles are capped at 175 sheets / 350 sides. In addition, per-document caps apply (Ch 8.1):

Exceeding any cap requires the court to specifically direct otherwise, satisfied that such direction is necessary for just proceedings.

OCR

All pages must be searchable. Scanned documents must be OCR'd so that text can be selected, copied, and searched (Ctrl+F / Cmd+F). This is a change of emphasis from earlier PD27A versions where OCR was recommended; it is now required for typed text pages.

Bookmarks

Electronic bundles must include PDF bookmarks for navigation. Structure them to mirror the Bates sections (for non-financial-remedy) or the financial remedy section order (for Ch 6). Each significant document gets a bookmark with a short description and page number.

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Document ordering

Non-financial-remedy (Ch 7.3)

Section order is fixed by the PD:

Within each section, arrange documents chronologically.

Financial remedy (Ch 6.3)

All statements, affidavits, and reports must be signed and dated originals.

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Common pagination and indexing errors

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Changes from the previous PD27A

PD27A was substantially revised on 2 March 2026. Key changes:

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How BundleCreator helps you work within the rules

Implementing PD27A correctly every time is what matters. BundleCreator produces Bates-numbered bundles for non-financial-remedy proceedings by default (per-section restart matching PD27A Ch 7), and supports Arabic numbering for financial remedy bundles.

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Checking your bundle for compliance

Non-financial-remedy pagination checklist

• Each section opens at {letter}1 (A1, B1, C1 …)
• Within each section, numbers run consecutively (A1, A2, A3 …)
• Numbers do not continue across section boundaries
• Exhibits included in the main Bates sequence
• Numbers clearly legible at 12pt minimum
• No gaps or duplicates within any section

Financial remedy pagination checklist

• All pages numbered consecutively (1, 2, 3 …) throughout the bundle
• PDF page labels match the pagination
• Section dividers are present but do not reset the count
• Exhibits included in the main sequence

Index checklist

• Every document listed
• Document descriptions accurate
• Dates included
• Page references correct
• Index hyperlinked (electronic)
• Links tested and working

Electronic bundle checklist

• PDF only
• Under 350 pages A4 (or court-directed otherwise)
• Text searchable (OCR applied)
• Bookmarks present and navigating correctly
• Default view 100%, landscape pages correctly oriented
• File opens without errors

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Frequently asked questions

Should I include the index page in the pagination?

Yes, generally. The index is typically page 1 (or pages 1–2 for longer bundles).

How do I handle documents with existing page numbers?

The original document's own page numbers can remain, but add the bundle's Bates or Arabic pagination as well. The bundle's page references take precedence.

What about landscape documents?

Under PD27A 11.2(f), landscape pages must appear landscape (readable left-to-right). Do not rotate them to portrait. Paginate them in the same position as portrait pages (typically bottom centre or bottom right when viewed in correct orientation).

Can I use Arabic numerals in a non-financial-remedy bundle?

No, unless the court specifically directs. PD27A Ch 7.2 requires Bates numbering. Arabic numerals are the required format for financial remedy proceedings only.

Do I need to include blank pages?

No. Remove blank pages before pagination. PD27A requires numbered blank dividers between sections, not blank pages within documents.

What if my bundle would exceed 350 pages?

Apply to the court for permission to exceed the cap. The application should identify the documents necessary for the hearing and explain why the full set is required. Courts expect reasoned requests, not blanket waivers.

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Official resources

• Practice Direction 27A — Current official requirements
• Family Procedure Rules — Full procedural rules
• Preparing Court Bundles for Family Proceedings: Guide for Litigants in Person — Judiciary's LiP guide (2 March 2026)

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Get compliant bundles automatically

Implementing PD27A correctly every time is what matters.

BundleCreator handles Bates (or Arabic, for financial remedy) pagination, indexing, bookmarking, OCR, and compression automatically. Upload your documents, arrange them in order, and generate a compliant bundle.

Start your 14-day trial at bundlecreator.co and create your first compliant bundle today.

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Further reading

• How to Create a PD27A-Aligned Court Bundle — Complete compliance guide
• Best Electronic Court Bundle Software for Litigants in Person — Software comparison
• FHDRA Hearing: How to Prepare Your Bundle — First hearing preparation
• What Happens at a Fact-Finding Hearing? — Fact-finding bundle requirements