Hayley Trim's Analysis: D-Day: Navigating the new Rules. And the Practice Directions. And the Forms.

It's here. 6 April 2011. The date has taken on a daunting significance since we first learned that the Family Procedure Rules 2010 were on the way. The three and a half months since the first draft was available have flown by with practice directions and forms arriving piecemeal and the Court of Appeal already starting to interpret the text.

So welcome the overriding objective and Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (good luck finding a mediator who has ticked all the boxes to be able to carry them out yet - but at least you can give up after three attempts). Don't forget to complete the Form FM1 and comply with the Part 9 pre-application protocol in financial matters as well.

As of today the courts will not be accepting the old application forms (save for those courts offering a period of grace for urgent applications). Getting...

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