# The Family Court (Composition and Distribution of Business) Rules 2014, Schedule 1: Allocation

Extent: E+W

Type of proceedings
Level of judge
1 Proceedings under—
Lay justices.
(a) the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act 1920 ;
(b) the Marriage Act 1949 ;
(c) the Maintenance Orders Act 1950 ;
(d) the Maintenance Orders Act 1958 ;
(e) the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972 ;
(f) the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978 ;
(g) the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 ;
(h) the Family Law Act 1986, section 55A (declarations of parentage) , except where the application is made by a birth parent in respect of a child under the age of 18 following the lawful adoption of that child ;
(i) the Child Support Act 1991, except section 32L or appeals;
(j) the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, section 11 (child safety order);
(k) Council Regulation (EC) No.44/2001 (known as the Judgments Regulation) ;
(l) section 34 of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 ;
(m) Schedule 6 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 ;
(n) the Childcare Act 2006, except section 79;
(o) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, section 54 or section 54A, where the child's place of birth was in England and Wales and where all respondents agree to the making of the order;
(p) Council Regulation (EC) No. 4/2009 (known as the Maintenance Regulation) ;
(q) the Protection Measures Regulation for enforcement of an incoming protection measure.
2 Proceedings under—
Judge of district judge level
(a) the Married Women's Property Act 1882 ;
(b) the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 ;
(c) the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 sections 13 and 12 (permission and substantive application) ...;
(d) the Children Act 1989, Schedule 1 ;
(e) the Gender Recognition Act 2004 , except appeals under section 8(1) and referrals to the court under section 8(5);
(f) the Civil Partnership Act 2004, except under—
(i) Schedule 6 (financial provision corresponding to provision made by the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978) .
(ii) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Proceedings under—
Judge of circuit judge level.
(a) the Family Law Act 1986 section 55 (declarations as to marital status), 56 (declarations as to legitimacy or legitimation) or 57 (declarations as to adoptions effected overseas);
(b) the Child Support Act 1991 under section 32L (orders preventing avoidance);
(c) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, section 54 or section 54A, where the child's place of birth was in England and Wales but where not all respondents agree to the making of the order.
4 Proceedings under—
Judge of High Court judge level
(a) . . .
(b) the Adoption and Children Act 2002, section 60(3) (order to disclose or to prevent disclosure of information to an adopted person);
(c) the Adoption and Children Act 2002, section 79(4) (order for Registrar General to give information);
(d) . . .
(e) referrals to the court under section 8(5) of the Gender Recognition Act 2004;
(f) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, section 54 or section 54A, where the child's place of birth was outside of England and Wales;
(g) Article 13 of the Protection Measures Regulation;
(h) the Family Law Act 1986, section 55A (declarations of parentage) where the application is made by a birth parent in respect of a child under the age of 18 following the lawful adoption of that child.
5 Proceedings under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 under—
Level of judge who is dealing with, or has dealt with, proceedings relating to the same child or, if there are or were no such proceedings, to lay justices.
(a) section 21 (placement order);
(b) section 23 (order varying a placement order);
(c) section 24 (order revoking a placement order);
(d) section 26 (contact order);
(e) section 27 (order varying or revoking a contact order);
(f) section 28(2) or (3) (order permitting the child's name to be changed or the removal of the child from the United Kingdom);
(g) section 46 (adoption order) except where—
(i) a local authority is a party to the application;
(ii) the application is for an overseas adoption within the meaning given in section 87 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002; or
(iii) the application is for a Convention adoption within the meaning given in section 66(1)(c) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002;
(h) section 51A(2)(a) or (b) (post-adoption contact);
(i) section 55 (revocation of adoption on legitimation);
(j) paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 (amendment of orders).
6 Proceedings under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 under section 46 (adoption order) where —
Level of judge who is dealing with, or dealt with, proceedings relating to the same child or, if there are or were no such proceedings, to a judge of district judge level.
(a) a local authority is a party to the application;
(b) the application is for an overseas adoption within the meaning given in section 87 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002; or
(c) the application is for a Convention adoption within the meaning given in section 66(1)(c) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/840/schedule/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/family-court-composition-and-distribution-of-business-rules-2014/schedule-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.