How to Prepare a Court Bundle for the Family Court
Updated: Oct 27
Last updated: 27 October 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: To prepare a court bundle for the family court, you follow Practice Direction 27A. The bundle is usually a single indexed, page-numbered PDF of the documents the judge needs, split into set sections. The applicant normally prepares it, and it must be filed and served five working days before the hearing, with short preliminary documents by 11am the working day before.
Key facts about family court bundles
Topic | The position in England and Wales |
The rule | Practice Direction 27A (PD27A) to the Family Procedure Rules 2010; current version in force since 2 March 2026 |
Which hearings | All family court hearings and High Court Family Division hearings (PD27A para 2.1) |
Who prepares it | Usually the applicant; a represented respondent if the applicant is unrepresented (paras 4.5 to 4.6) |
Format | Electronic bundle (PDF) by default; paper only where the court allows or directs (para 4.2) |
Size | No more than 350 A4 pages without the court's permission (para 11.2(b)) |
Deadline | Filed and served 5 working days before the hearing; preliminary documents by 11am the working day before (chapter 13) |
If you don't comply | The hearing can be put back or taken out of the list, and costs orders can be made (para 3.1) |
Checked against PD27A on justice.gov.uk on 27 October 2026.
What is a court bundle?
A court bundle is the set of documents the judge reads before and during a family court hearing. It brings together the applications, orders, statements, reports and short summary documents for that hearing, in a fixed order, with an index and page numbers. Everyone in the case works from the same bundle, so when someone says "page C14", the judge, the other side and any witness can all turn to the same page.
A court bundle isn't a place to put every document you own. It holds what the court needs for that particular hearing, and the rules say some kinds of document should be left out unless the judge asks for them.
Why does a court bundle matter?
Family judges often have very little reading time before a hearing. A clear bundle lets the judge understand the case quickly, find the key evidence, and spend the hearing on the issues rather than hunting for papers. A poor or late bundle can do the opposite: it wastes court time and can lead to the hearing being delayed.
For a parent representing themselves, a tidy bundle also takes some of the stress out of the day. You know where everything is, and you can point the judge to the right page calmly.
What is a practice direction, and what is PD27A?
A practice direction sits alongside the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and explains how the rules work in practice. Courts expect them to be followed, and judges can make orders when they aren't.
Practice Direction 27A is the practice direction about court bundles in family proceedings. A new version came into force on 2 March 2026. It applies to every hearing in the family court and every hearing before a judge of the Family Division of the High Court, whether the bundle is electronic or on paper. It works alongside other practice directions, such as PD12B (the Child Arrangements Programme) and PD12A (the Public Law Outline), and alongside any specific directions the judge makes in your case.
The only general exception is an urgent application, and even then PD27A only falls away to the extent it's impossible to comply. If you can put together a short bundle in the time you have, you should.
Who prepares the court bundle?
Under PD27A paragraphs 4.5 to 4.7, the usual rules are:
The applicant prepares, files and serves the bundle. If both sides have made applications, it's the party whose application came first.
A represented respondent prepares it instead if the applicant is representing themselves (a litigant in person) and the respondent has a solicitor.
If everyone is representing themselves and nobody can prepare a bundle, the court can, exceptionally, direct HMCTS to prepare it.
Wherever possible, the parties should agree what goes into the bundle. If you're the one preparing it, send the other side a draft index in good time so they can say if anything is missing.
When does the court bundle have to be filed?
PD27A sets a clear timetable before each hearing:
When | What has to happen |
7 working days before the hearing | The parties try to agree the contents of the bundle |
5 working days before the hearing | The bundle is filed with the court and served on the other parties |
By 11am on the working day before | Any preliminary documents not already filed are filed and served |
After filing | The bundle can't be changed before the hearing without the court's agreement |
Within 5 working days after | Collect any paper bundle, or the court may destroy it |
These deadlines can be tight, especially in the run-up to Christmas, when lots of parents are trying to get a hearing. If that's your situation, our guide on whether it's too late to apply to court for Christmas contact explains realistic timescales.
How do you prepare a court bundle step by step?
Check the latest order. It may say who prepares the bundle, what goes in it, or set a different deadline. The order always takes priority.
Gather the documents for this hearing. Applications, orders, statements, reports and anything else the court has directed.
Sort them into the PD27A sections (see below), with each section in date order, earliest first.
Number the pages. In children cases, each page is numbered by section, for example A1, A2, B1, B2 (sometimes called Bates numbering). In financial remedy cases the pages run consecutively, 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Add an index at the front listing each document, its date and its page numbers.
Prepare the short preliminary documents for the hearing, within the page limits.
Send the draft to the other side to agree the contents, then file and serve the final bundle on time.
What goes into a family court bundle?
For children cases and most other family proceedings, PD27A paragraph 7.3 sets the order of sections:
Section A: preliminary documents such as the case summary, statement of issues, position statements, chronology and an essential reading list.
Applications and orders. For example the C100 application. Our guide on how to fill in a C100 form explains that form section by section.
Statements and affidavits. The witness statements each party has filed in the case.
Care plans in public law cases.
Experts' and other reports, including Cafcass and children's guardian reports, and reports the court has ordered, such as a section 37 report.
Medical records and police disclosure, where the court has directed them.
Other documents the court has directed or the parties have agreed.
Expert evidence needs the court's permission, so test results only go in once the court has allowed them. Our article on why drug or alcohol tests are ordered in child arrangements cases explains how that works.
In financial remedy cases, chapter 6 of PD27A applies instead. The sections are preliminary documents, applications and orders, then each party's Form E financial statement, questionnaire replies and statements, followed by expert reports and other documents. A fresh bundle is prepared for each hearing.
What are the preliminary documents, and how long can they be?
Preliminary documents are short papers that help the judge get to grips with the case quickly. Each one should show the date it was prepared and the date of the hearing on the front page. Unless the court directs otherwise, chapter 8 of PD27A sets these limits:
Document | Maximum length |
Case summary | 6 pages |
Statement of issues | 2 pages |
Position statement (children and other non-financial cases) | 3 pages |
Chronology | 10 pages, ideally one sentence per entry |
Essential reading list | 1 page |
Witness statement (excluding exhibits) | 25 pages |
Expert or other report | 40 pages, with a summary of no more than 4 pages |
In financial remedy cases, position statements can be longer: 6 pages for a first appointment, 8 for other interim hearings, 12 for a financial dispute resolution appointment and 15 for the final hearing. Our guide on how to write a clear position statement has practical tips on keeping it short and focused.
If a party relies on skeleton arguments or legal cases (authorities), these are prepared for the hearing too. Authorities go in a separate bundle, normally of no more than ten, and the other side must be given a copy or a link in advance if they're representing themselves.
What shouldn't go in the court bundle?
PD27A paragraph 5.2 says these documents are left out unless the court directs otherwise:
letters and emails, including letters of instruction to experts
text messages, WhatsApp messages and social media posts
voice notes and other recordings
bank and credit card statements and other financial records
notes of contact visits and foster carer logs
photographs
social services files, except any assessment a party relies on
This surprises a lot of parents, because messages often feel like the most important evidence. If you think the judge needs to see particular messages or photos, ask the court for a direction allowing them in, or put the relevant ones as exhibits to your statement if the court has said you can.
How should an electronic court bundle be formatted?
Electronic bundles are now the default. Under PD27A chapter 11, an e-bundle should:
be a single PDF of no more than 350 A4 pages, unless the court gives permission for more
have computer-generated page numbers, not handwritten ones
be bookmarked, with the page number in each bookmark, and searchable where possible
have pages the right way up, open at 100% view, and a resolution no higher than 300 dpi
use at least 12 point text, ideally Arial or Times New Roman, with 1.5 or double line spacing
The file name should include the hearing date, the case number, a short case name and a description, for example "Bundle for hearing". Use the HMCTS online upload portal if your court has one; otherwise email it as the court directs. If it's too big to email, the court can arrange for it to go to the Document Upload Centre.
What if the court asks for a paper bundle?
Paper bundles are still used where the court directs, for example for a witness giving evidence or a party who can't use an e-bundle. A paper bundle should normally be one A4 ring binder or lever arch file with no more than 175 sheets (350 sides), copied double-sided. The front and spine should show the case name and number, the court, the date and time of the hearing, the judge's name if you know it, and a letter (A, B, C) if there's more than one binder.
If you're representing yourself at a hearing where domestic abuse is alleged, bring the paper copies the court has asked for, and read our guide to the ban on abusers cross-examining victims in the family court, which explains how questioning works at that kind of hearing.
What happens if you don't follow PD27A?
PD27A paragraph 3.1 says that if the rules aren't followed, the case can be taken out of the list or put further back, and the court can make an adverse costs order or a wasted costs order. Even if you're representing yourself, a late or disorganised bundle risks your hearing being delayed.
Appeals have their own bundle rules in PD30A. If you're thinking about challenging a decision, see our guide on how to appeal against a family court order.
Common mistakes to avoid
putting in every message and photo you have, instead of what the court needs
missing the five-working-day deadline because you waited for the other side
handwritten page numbers, or pages scanned sideways
position statements far longer than the page limit
leaving out-of-date summaries or chronologies in an updated bundle (they should be taken out)
The judiciary has published a free guide to preparing court bundles for litigants in person, which is worth reading alongside PD27A.
How we can help
Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm in England and Wales. We're not solicitors and we don't represent clients in court. We help people who are representing themselves to get their paperwork ready, including:
sorting, indexing and paginating court bundles to PD27A
drafting case summaries, chronologies and position statements
preparing witness statements and C100 or FL401 applications
checking what should and shouldn't go in the bundle
You can read what our clients say in our Google reviews. To talk to us, email help@incourt.co.uk or use the contact form and one of the team will get back to you.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a court bundle in family court?
A court bundle is the indexed, page-numbered set of documents the judge uses at a family court hearing, such as applications, orders, statements, reports and short summary documents. Practice Direction 27A sets out what goes in it, how it's organised and when it must be filed.
How many days before the hearing does the bundle have to be filed?
Under PD27A, the bundle must be filed and served five working days before the hearing. The parties should try to agree its contents seven working days before, and preliminary documents must be filed by 11am on the working day before the hearing.
Do I have to prepare the bundle if I'm representing myself?
Usually the applicant prepares it. But if you're the applicant and representing yourself, and the other side has a solicitor, their solicitor normally prepares it. If nobody is represented and nobody can do it, the court can exceptionally ask HMCTS to prepare it.
What is the page limit for a court bundle?
An electronic bundle can be up to 350 A4 pages. A paper bundle is normally one binder of up to 175 sheets (350 sides). You need the court's permission to go over that.
Can I put text messages in my court bundle?
Not unless the court directs. PD27A leaves out messages, emails, social media posts, recordings and photographs by default. If you think the judge needs to see them, ask the court for a direction.
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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