{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-amendment-no-2-rules-northern-ireland-2005/article-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-amendment-no-2-rules-northern-ireland-2005/article-7.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2005/497",
  "legislation_title": "The Family Proceedings (Amendment No. 2) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-amendment-no-2-rules-northern-ireland-2005",
  "path": "article/7",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Amendment to the 1996 Rules",
  "text": "In rule 2.6 (Presentation of petition)—\n(a) for paragraph (1) substitute—\n“(1) A petition may be presented—\n(a) in a matrimonial cause, to the High Court or, other than a petition under Article 21 of the Order of 1978, to any divorce county court, and\n(b) in a civil partnership cause, to the High Court or, other than a petition under section 178 of the Act of 2004, to any civil partnership proceedings county court.”;\n(b) in paragraph (2), after “marriage” insert “or civil partnership”;\n(c) in paragraph (3)—\n(i) for “Where” substitute “In a matrimonial cause, where”; and\n(ii) for “disposed of by a final order” substitute “finally disposed of”;\n(d) after paragraph (3) insert—\n“(3A) In a civil partnership cause, where there is before the court a petition which has not been dismissed or otherwise finally disposed of, another petition by the same petitioner in respect of the same civil partnership shall not be presented without leave granted on an application made in the pending proceedings:\nProvided that no such leave shall be required where it is proposed, after the expiration of the period of 2 years from the date of the civil partnership, to present a petition for dissolution alleging such of the facts mentioned in section 168(5) of the Act of 2004 as were alleged in a petition for separation presented before the expiration of that period.”;\n(e) in paragraph (4), for “in Form M5 with Form M6 attached” substitute—\n“(i) in a matrimonial cause, in Form M5 with Form M6 attached, and\n(ii) in a civil partnership cause, in Form M5A with Form M6A attached,”; and\n(f) for paragraph (6) substitute—\n“(6) C.C.R. Order 6, rule 10 (which deals with the service of petitions) shall not apply but on the filing of the petition the Master shall—\n(a) affix thereto the seal of the Matrimonial Office,\n(b) enter the cause in the appropriate records, and\n(c) annex to every copy of the petition for service a notice in Form M5 with Form M6 attached or in Form M5A with Form M6A attached, as the case may be,\nand shall also annex to the copy petition for service on a respondent the copy of any statement and report filed pursuant to paragraph (4) of this rule.”.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2005/497/article/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T01:49:56.744185+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."
}