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The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026

S.I. 2026/699 · Made 25 June 2026

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

FAMILY PROCEEDINGS

SENIOR COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

FAMILY COURT, ENGLAND AND WALES

Made 25th June 2026

Laid before Parliament 29th June 2026

Coming into force 20th July 2026

The Family Procedure Rule Committee makes the following Rules in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 75 and 76(8) of the Courts Act 2003f1, having fulfilled the requirements of section 79(1) of that Act.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2003 c. 39. Section 75 was amended by paragraphs 308 and 338 of Part 1 of Schedule 4 and Part 2 of Schedule 18 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), paragraphs 83 and 91 of Part 2 of Schedule 10 to the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22). Paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Schedule 4 to the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (c. 35) sets out an amendment to section 75 which is not yet in force.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, extent and commencement
  2. 2Amendment of the Family Procedure Rules 2010
  3. 3Insertion of new rule 9.47
  4. 4Amendment of rule 25.2
  5. 5Insertion of new rule 25.5A
  6. 6Saving provision
  7. Signature
  8. Explanatory note

1Citation, extent and commencement

(1)

These Rules may be cited as the Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026.

(2)

These Rules extend to England and Wales.

(3)

These Rules come into force on 20th July 2026.

2Amendment of the Family Procedure Rules 2010

The Family Procedure Rules 2010f1 are amended in accordance with rules 3 to 5 of these Rules.

3Insertion of new rule 9.47

After rule 9.46 (communication of information: Practice Direction 9B) insert—

“Communication of information with the permission of the court

947.

A practice direction may make provision in relation to the court giving permission to communicate information from proceedings.”.

4Amendment of rule 25.2

In rule 25.2 (interpretation)—

(a)

after the definition of “expert” insert—

  • ““regulated expert” means an expert who is—

    1. (a)

      regulated by a UK statutory body;

    2. (b)

      on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care; or

    3. (c)

      regulated by an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007f1;”;

(b)

after the definition of “single joint expert” insert—

  • ““technical expert” means an expert who provides evidence on—

    1. (a)

      digital forensics;

    2. (b)

      DNA testing;

    3. (c)

      handwriting analysis; or

    4. (d)

      toxicology testing.”.

5Insertion of new rule 25.5A

After rule 25.5 (further provisions about the court’s power to restrict expert evidence) insert—

“Requirement for experts to be regulated in children proceedings

25.5A.
(1)

Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the court may only give permission under section 13(1), (3) or (5) of the 2014 Actf1 if the expert evidence is from a regulated expert.

(2)

The requirement set out in paragraph (1) does not apply to expert evidence from an international social worker, a technical expert or an expert instructed in proceedings under Schedule 1 to the 1989 Actf2.

(3)

The court may give permission under section 13(1), (3) or (5) of the 2014 Act to instruct any expert where there is no regulated expert available.

(4)

For the purposes of paragraph (3), no regulated expert is available where—

(a)

the issue to which the expert evidence relates may only be resolved with the expertise of an expert who is not a regulated expert; or

(b)

the instruction of a regulated expert would cause significant delay in the proceedings which would not be in the best interests of the child.

(5)

If permission is given under paragraph (3), the court must give reasons for its decision, including—

(a)

the steps taken by the parties to identify a regulated expert, and

(b)

the reasons why the expert instructed meets the standards set out in the annex to Practice Direction 25B.”.

6Saving provision

The amendments made by rules 4 and 5 do not apply to proceedings that were issued before 20th July 2026.

Signature

Sir Stephen Cobb, President of the Family Division

Lord Justice Baker

Poonam Bhari

District Judge Foss

Mr Justice Keehan

Jennifer Kingsley

Vicki Mulligan

Mr Justice Peel

Helen Sewell

Her Honour Judge Suh

I allow these Rules

Signed by authority of the Lord Chancellor

Levitt

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Ministry of Justice

25th June 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (S.I. 2010/2955) (“the FPR”).

Rule 3 inserts a new rule 9.47 FPR to enable provision to be made in a practice direction relating to the court permitting communication of information from financial remedy proceedings.

Rules 4 and 5 insert a new rule 25.5A FPR and relevant definitions into rule 25.2 FPR to make provision so that in children proceedings, subject to limited exceptions, an expert providing evidence must be a regulated expert.

Rule 6 makes saving provision so that rules 4 and 5 do not apply to proceedings issued before those rules come into force.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.