Uk Family Procedure Rule Committee

Lay Member Vicki Mulligan Appointed, Solicitor Laura Coyle Reappointed

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Vicki Mulligan as Lay Member and the reappointment of Laura Coyle as Solicitor Member to the Family Procedure Rule Committee (FPRC). Vicki Mulligan serves as Interim Director of the Centre for Justice Innovation and will serve a 3-year term from 4 November 2025. Laura Coyle, a Partner at Freemans Solicitors specialising in children law, will serve a further 3-year term from 1 August 2026. The FPRC makes rules of court governing practice and procedure in family proceedings in the High Court and family court.

Family Procedure Rules Early Resolution Consultation 2023

The Family Procedure Rule Committee closed its consultation on proposed amendments to Family Procedure Rules aimed at strengthening mediation and non-court dispute resolution in private family law cases. The consultation ran from 30 March to 25 May 2023, seeking views on attendance at Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) and encouraging use of non-court dispute resolution (NCDR). Responses are being analysed with outcomes to be published.

Practice Direction 27A Family Bundle Preparation Consultation

The Family Procedure Rule Committee is consulting publicly on a new Practice Direction 27A concerning bundle preparation in family proceedings. The draft aims to modernize requirements to reflect current use of electronic bundles and consolidate existing judicial guidance into a single comprehensive source. The consultation seeks feedback on standardized bundle preparation requirements applicable in family courts in England and Wales.

New Draft FPR 25.5A Requiring Regulated Experts in Family Children Proceedings

The Family Procedure Rule Committee is consulting on new FPR 25.5A which would require any expert instructed in family law children proceedings to be regulated. The consultation also includes amendments to FPR 25.2 and Practice Directions 25B and 25C. The definition of a regulated expert would be inserted into FPR 25.2. The consultation closed on 6 June 2025.

Family Procedure Rules Committee Annual Reports 2010-2025

The UK Family Procedure Rule Committee published its annual report covering April 2024 to March 2025, alongside archived reports dating back to 2010-2011. The FPRC is an advisory committee that keeps family procedure rules under review and makes recommendations to the Lord Chancellor. Reports are published in HTML and PDF formats accessible via GOV.UK.