Family Procedure Rules 2010 Practice Direction 25B

The Practice Direction 25B came into force on 1st October 2014 and supplements Family Procedure Rules 2010 Part 25.

It should also be read in conjunction with:

Practice Direction 25A (Experts – Emergencies and Pre proceedings Instructions);

Practice Direction 25C (Children Proceedings – The Use of Single Joint Experts and the Process Leading to an Expert Being Instructed or Expert Evidence Being Put Before the Court);

Practice Direction 25D (Financial Remedy Proceedings and Other Family Proceedings (except Children Proceedings) – The Use of Single Joint Experts and the Process Leading to Expert Evidence Being Put Before The Court);

Practice Direction 25E (Discussions Between Experts in Family Proceedings);

Practice Direction 15B (Adults Who May Be Protected Parties and Children Who May Become Protected Parties In Family Proceedings) gives guidance relating to proceedings where an adult party may not have capacity to conduct the litigation or to instruct an expert; and

Guidelines for the instruction of medical experts form overseas in family cases’ published by the Family Justice Council in December 2011 – An expert working outside the UK must now demonstrate compliance with these under the new Standards.

Practice Direction 25B focuses on the duties of an expert including their report, their court attendance (if required) and the arrangements for such attendance.  It also addresses within the Annex to PD25B, the standards for expert witnesses in Children Proceedings in the Family Court.