Currently, in divorce proceedings applications for financial remedy are made to the Court on paper by way of a document known as a Form A.
Upon receipt of the Form A application, the Court issues it and sends a Notice of First Appointment (the initial Court hearing) to the parties. It also sets out the initial timetable, including financial disclosure by way of Form E financial statements. These documents set out the relevant financial and other circumstances of the party- income, assets and liabilities and other circumstances . Thereafter, the timetable provides for the exchange and filing of further documents, namely a Questionnaire, Statement of Issues, Chronology and Notice in Form G.
A Questionnaire gives the parties an opportunity to ask the other person questions in relation to their financial disclosure (Form E and documents in support).
The Chronology is a chronology of the important events throughout the marriage.
The Statement of Issues is a short statement about what the disputed financial issues between the parties are.
The next document is a Notice in Form G is to say whether the party would be ready to use the first Court hearing for directions only (e.g. for the Court to set the ongoing timetable in the matter/determine what should happen next in order to move the matter forward) or if they would be able to use that for negotiations constructively – this is so the Court is able to allocate the right amount of time for the day.
In the Notice of First Appointment document it also sets out the first hearing date – the First Appointment.
I understand that the Courts are going to potentially move towards the digitisation of the Form A where the application will be able to be made online (rather than the current situation where the application is made on paper) and the above listing dates dealt with through that service too and that a pilot scheme in London is likely to take place in the near future.