PD27A Bundle Compliance Checklist

Q: What is Practice Direction 27A?

Practice Direction 27A (PD27A) sets out the requirements for preparing court bundles in Family Court and Family Division of the High Court proceedings in England and Wales. 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 (clarifying amendments only). It covers preparation, contents, structure, format, timetable, and filing — across 19 chapters.

Q: Who is responsible for preparing the court bundle?

PD27A Ch 4.5–4.7 sets a three-tier responsibility chain. Default (4.5): the applicant (or first-in-time applicant in cross-applications) prepares the bundle. If the applicant is unrepresented but the respondent is represented (4.6), the legally represented respondent must prepare it. If all parties are unrepresented (4.7), the court may direct HMCTS to prepare it. Bundle contents should be agreed where possible (4.9).

Q: What changed in the 2 March 2026 PD27A revision?

The revision reorganised PD27A into 19 chapters and moved non-financial-remedy Family proceedings onto Bates numbering (section letter + number restarting at 1 in each section — A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3 …) under Ch 7.2. Financial remedy proceedings use Arabic numerals consecutive through the whole bundle under Ch 6.2, with PDF page labels matched. E-bundles are now the default (Ch 4.1–4.2). Filing deadlines tightened to 7 working days agree / 5 working days file body / 11:00 the working day before for preliminary documents (Ch 13.2). Per-document page caps codified (Ch 8.1). Neurodiversity typography guidance added (Arial flagged as accessible, Ch 11.2(l)). The 24 March 2026 amendment was clarifying only and did not change pagination, size, or timetable rules.

Q: Does PD27A require continuous numbering across sections?

No. A widely-circulated misreading claimed the March 2026 PD27A revision required continuous cross-section numbering (A1, A2, B3, B4, C5 …). That is wrong. PD27A para 1.2 defines Bates numbering verbatim as: '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'. Numbers restart at 1 in each new section for non-financial-remedy proceedings. Financial remedy uses consecutive Arabic throughout, with no section letter prefix.

Q: What happens if my bundle is not compliant with PD27A?

PD27A Ch 3 sets the consequences: the case may be removed from the list, the hearing postponed, or adverse costs orders or wasted costs orders made. Meeting the requirements is not optional once the PD applies.

Q: Does PD27A apply to all UK courts?

PD27A applies to Family Court and Family Division of the High Court proceedings in England and Wales. Other courts have their own practice directions — CPR Practice Directions 32 and 39A for civil proceedings (including TOLATA under Part 8), the Employment Tribunals Rules of Procedure for Employment Tribunal bundles, and Practice Direction No. 1 of 2025 for the SEND Tribunal (First-tier Tribunal).

Q: Can I use this checklist for tribunals or civil court?

This checklist is designed for PD27A Family Court bundles. Many formatting principles (PDF, OCR, bookmarks, hyperlinked indexing, 12pt Arial, chronological order) carry across other jurisdictions, but the pagination rule and the fixed section order are PD27A-specific. For tribunals or civil court, check the specific practice direction or procedure rules that apply to your case.

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Tick off each requirement to check whether your Family Court bundle meets Practice Direction 27A. Updated against the 2 March 2026 revision — Bates per-section restart for non-financial-remedy proceedings; Arabic consecutive for financial remedy.

In Brief

Practice Direction 27A governs how court bundles must be prepared for Family Court hearings in England and Wales. This free interactive checklist covers every PD27A requirement — format, organisation, numbering, and procedural compliance — so you can verify your bundle before filing.

0%PD27A compliant

0 of 37 requirements met — Significant gaps — address before filing

Pagination — Non-Financial-Remedy Proceedings (Ch 7.2)

Children cases, FLA applications, adoption, and most other Family proceedings. PD27A requires Bates numbering with per-section restart.

Bates numbering: section letter + number, restart at 1 in each new section

NEW

PD para 1.2 verbatim: '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'. Output: A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2 …

Numbers do NOT continue across sections (Section B opens at B1, not at the next number after Section A)

Per-section restart is the PD27A rule. Numbering continuously across sections (A1, A2, B3, B4, C5 …) is not a PD27A requirement.

At subsequent hearings, new documents append to the relevant section with continuing Bates numbering within that section only (7.16)

If Section C ended at C7 at first hearing, new filings become C8, C9 — the rest of the bundle is undisturbed.

Pagination — Financial Remedy (Ch 6.2)

Financial remedy proceedings use a different pagination system.

Arabic numerals consecutive through the whole bundle (1, 2, 3 …)

Financial remedy bundles use a single consecutive Arabic sequence for the entire bundle. Section dividers do not reset the count.

PDF page labels match the pagination (11.2(c))

For financial remedy, the computer-generated page numbering must match the PDF page label numbering. This alignment is mandatory.

Document Organisation — Ch 7.3 (non-financial-remedy)

PD27A Ch 7.3 specifies the fixed section order for non-financial-remedy Family proceedings. Ch 6.3 (a–e) applies for financial remedy.

Section A: Preliminary documents and case management documents

Case summary, statement of issues, chronology, reading list, witness template, position statements, skeleton arguments, each party's Form FM5 (if applicable).

Section B: Applications and orders (sealed or approved)

Filed applications (C100, C1A, FL401, etc.), acknowledgements, case management orders, previous orders in date order.

Section C: Statements and affidavits (dated, without exhibits)

Parties' witness statements and affidavits, signed and dated. Exhibits are paginated inside the main Bates sequence, not in their own section.

Section D: Care plans (where applicable)

Local authority care plans in public law proceedings.

Section E: Experts' and other reports (including children's guardian reports)

CAFCASS reports (Section 7 reports), expert assessments, children's guardian analysis, medical reports, psychological assessments.

Section F: Relevant medical records

Medical records relevant to the issues. Usually a curated selection, not a full medical file.

Section G: Relevant police disclosure

Police disclosure relevant to the proceedings, typically in domestic abuse or public law cases.

Documents within each section are in chronological order

Within each section, documents should appear in date order — earliest first.

Contents Rules (PD27A Ch 5.2 and Ch 8.1)

What must and must not be in the bundle, and per-document page caps.

Correspondence (including expert instructions) excluded unless directed (5.2)

PD27A 5.2 lists excluded classes: correspondence, emails, texts, WhatsApp, social media, voice notes, recordings, bank statements, contact notes, foster logs, social services files (except assessments relied upon), photographs.

Witness statement ≤25 pages exclusive of exhibits (8.1)

Exhibits are paginated in the main Bates sequence and count against the bundle's 350-page cap, but not against the 25-page statement limit.

Expert report ≤40 pages including a maximum 4-page executive summary (8.1)

The 40-page cap includes, not excludes, the executive summary.

Case summary ≤6 pages, statement of issues ≤2 pages (8.1)

Tight caps on preliminary documents — discipline in drafting is expected.

Chronology ≤10 pages, list of essential reading ≤1 page (8.1)

Chronology is capped at 10 pages; reading list is 1 page.

No duplicate documents included

Each document should appear only once. Duplicates waste pages and risk confusion about which copy to reference.

Only documents relevant to the hearing are included (5.2)

PD27A 5.2 requires only documents relevant to the hearing and necessary for court reading or hearing reference.

Filing Timetable (PD27A Ch 13.2)

Three working-day milestones. Missing any exposes you to Ch 3 consequences.

Parties seek to agree bundle contents 7 working days before hearing

Contents should be agreed between the parties where possible; disputes noted in preliminary documents.

Bundle body served and filed 5 working days before hearing (except preliminary documents)

The main bundle must be with the court and all parties 5 working days before the hearing.

Preliminary documents served and filed by 11:00 the working day before hearing

Position statements, case summary, chronology, statement of issues — 11:00 the working day before. If a High Court judge hearing is known, also emailed to the judge's clerk.

No silent amendments after filing (13.3)

Once filed, the bundle must not be amended before the hearing without prior court agreement. Accepted errors and court-permitted supplemental bundles are the only exceptions.

Filed via HMCTS online portal where available (14.2(b))

Use the HMCTS online portal where available. Email only if the portal is unavailable; larger bundles via Document Upload Centre by prior arrangement.

Authorities (PD27A Ch 10.2)

Separate composite authorities bundle, capped.

Authorities bundle contains no more than 10 authorities (10.2)

Separate composite authorities bundle, agreed between advocates (and unrepresented parties where any party is unrepresented). Exceeding 10 requires court direction.

Law-reported judgments with headnotes, not transcripts (10.2)

Prefer law-reported versions with headnotes over raw transcripts. E-bundles include appropriate hyperlinks to each authority.

Disclaimer

This checklist is for guidance. Always follow the specific directions issued by the court in your case. Requirements may vary between courts and districts. If in doubt, contact the court office or seek legal advice.

PD27A — the rules in numbers

Headline figures from Family Court Practice Direction 27A.

Stat	Value	Source
Bundle page guideline	350 pages or one A4 lever-arch file	PD27A paragraph 5.1
Minimum font size	12 point, no smaller than 11 for footnotes	PD27A paragraph 4.4
Bundle filing — before hearing	Not less than 4 working days	PD27A paragraph 6.4
Index requirement	Paginated, indexed, with sections A–F as set out	PD27A paragraph 4.1

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last reviewed: 15 March 2026| Stevie Hayes, Legal Technology Compliance Specialist

Family Court Guides & Articles

Further reading on PD27A compliance and bundle preparation

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The most frequent court bundle errors that lead to adjournments, wasted costs, and adverse outcomes in family court. Learn what to avoid and how to get it right.

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Court Bundle Checklist: Essential Documents for Family Court Cases

Family court bundles vary by hearing type. An FHDRA bundle runs 50–80 pages; a Final Hearing bundle can reach the 350-page PD27A limit. This checklist covers every document required for each hearing stage — FHDRA, DRA, Fact-Finding, and Final Hearing — in the order courts expect.

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Family Court Bundle: A Comprehensive Guide to PD27A Compliance

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Litigant in Person in Family Court: How to Prepare Without a Solicitor

Practical guide for litigants in person in family court. Covers court etiquette, preparing your bundle, presenting your case, McKenzie friends, and duty solicitor schemes.

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Directions Hearing Bundle: What to Prepare for Your First Court Date

How to prepare a bundle for a family court directions hearing. Covers what the judge expects, documents to include, position statements, and how to make the most of limited court time.

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Fact-Finding Hearing Bundle: Evidence Preparation for Family Court

How to prepare a bundle for a fact-finding hearing in family court. Covers the Scott Schedule, evidence of domestic abuse, witness evidence, cross-examination, and the standard of proof.