{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-procedure-adoption-rules-2005/article-37",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-procedure-adoption-rules-2005/article-37.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2005/2795",
  "legislation_title": "The Family Procedure (Adoption) Rules 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-procedure-adoption-rules-2005",
  "path": "article/37",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "37",
  "heading": "Service of documents on children and patients",
  "text": "(1) The following table shows the person on whom a document must be served if it is a document which would otherwise be served on a child, non-subject child or patient—\nNature of party\nType of document\nPerson to be served\nChild who is not also a patient\nAny document\nThe solicitor acting for the child;\nwhere there is no such solicitor, the children’s guardian or the children and family reporter.\nNon-subject child who is not also a patient\nApplication form\nOne of the non-subject child’s parents or guardians;\nif there is no parent or guardian, the person with whom the non-subject child resides or in whose care the non-subject child is.\nPatient\nApplication form\nThe person authorised under Part VII of the Mental Health Act 1983 to conduct the proceedings in the name of the patient or on his behalf;\nif there is no person so authorised, the person with whom the patient resides or in whose care the patient is.\nNon-subject child or patient\nApplication for an order appointing a litigation friend, where the non-subject child or patient has no litigation friend\nSee rule 57.\nAny other document\nThe litigation friend who is conducting proceedings on behalf of the non-subject child or patient.\n(2) Where a child is directed by the court to serve a document, service is to be effected by—\n(a) the solicitor acting for the child;\n(b) where there is no such solicitor, the children’s guardian;\n(c) where there is neither a solicitor or children’s guardian, the litigation friend; or\n(d) where there is neither a solicitor, children’s guardian, or litigation friend, a court officer.\n(3) Where a non-subject child or patient is directed by the court to serve a document, service is to be effected by—\n(a) the solicitor acting for the non-subject child or patient; or\n(b) where there is no such solicitor, the litigation friend.\n(4) The court may give directions permitting a document to be served on the child, non-subject child or patient, or on some other person other than the person specified in the table in this rule.\n(5) The court may direct that, although a document has been served on someone other than the person specified in the table, the document is to be treated as if it had been properly served.\n(6) This rule does not apply where a non-subject child is conducting proceedings without a litigation friend in accordance with rule 51.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1983 c. 20."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "am",
      "affecting": "uksi/2007/2189",
      "affecting_title": "The Family Procedure (Adoption) (Amendment) Rules 2007"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2795/article/37",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:49:01.488224+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}