{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-procedure-adoption-rules-2005/article-54",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-procedure-adoption-rules-2005/article-54.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/54",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "54",
  "heading": "How a person becomes a litigation friend without a court order",
  "text": "(1) If the court has not appointed a litigation friend, a person who wishes to act as a litigation friend must follow the procedure set out in this rule.\n(2) A person authorised under Part VII of the Mental Health Act 1983 must file an official copy of the order or other document which constitutes his authorisation to act.\n(3) Any other person must file a certificate of suitability stating that he satisfies the conditions specified in rule 53(3).\n(4) A person who is to act as a litigation friend must file—\n(a) the authorisation; or\n(b) the certificate of suitability\nat the time when he first takes a step in the proceedings on behalf of the non-subject child or patient.\n(5) A court officer will send the certificate of suitability to every person on whom, in accordance with rule 37(1) (service on parent, guardian etc.), the application form should be served.\n(6) This rule does not apply to the Official Solicitor, an officer of the Service or a Welsh family proceedings officer.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "An official copy is a copy of an official document supplied and marked as such by the office that issued the original."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2795/article/54",
    "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."
}