Chapter 1: The Divorce Petition
Chapter 2: Requirements on Issue of Divorce Application
Chapter 3: Procedure - From Issue of Divorce Application for Issue of Conditional Order
Chapter 4: Procedure - Amended, Supplemental and Further Applications
Chapter 5: Judicial Involvement Leading to a Conditional Order
Chapter 6: Final Order of Divorce
Chapter 7: Concluding Applications Other than by Final Order
Chapter 8: Other Matrimonial Decrees
Chapter 9: Declaratory Decrees
Chapter 10: Civil Partnership
Chapter 11: Applications for a Financial Order with Proceedings under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004
Chapter 12: Other Financial Applications
Chapter 13: Children and Financial Applications
Chapter 14: Financial Applications Governed by the Civil Procedure Rules 1998
Chapter 15: Procedures for the Enforcement of Financial and Costs Orders
Chapter 16: Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders
Chapter 17: Jurisdiction in Child Proceedings
Chapter 18: Children - Private Law Issues
Chapter 19: Enforcement of Children Act Orders
Chapter 20: Locating the Whereabouts of a Child
Chapter 21: Wardship and Child Abduction
Chapter 22: Public Law for the Private Law Practitioner
Chapter 23: Family Homes and Domestic Violence
Chapter 24: Emergency Applications
Chapter 25: Penal Notices, Undertakings and Committal Applications
Chapter 26: Court Bundles
Chapter 27: Expert Witnesses in Family Proceedings
Chapter 28: Vulnerable Witnesses in Family Proceedings
Chapter 29: Appeals
Chapter 30: The Court Record

Appendices

Christopher Simmonds is the Designated Family Law Judge for Dorset. He is a former Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission and former Course Director at the Judicial College (Family). Before being appointed he was a Solicitor and Partner in the firm of Davis Simmonds & Donaghey specialising in Public Law Proceedings and a member of the Children Panel.

Alexander Laing is an award-winning barrister practicing at Coram Chambers. Alex specialises in children and finance law, particularly cases with an international element.

Sophie Hill is a barrister at Coram Chambers specialising in complex finance and private law children cases

Edward Bennett is a barrister at Harcourt Chambers specialising in international children's law. He was previously Editor of the International Family Law Journal.

This court practice guide enables you to avoid the most common pitfalls encountered across the spectrum of family proceedings, thereby speeding up litigation and avoiding unnecessary work and wasted costs orders.
It covers every aspect of the court process across family proceedings, from divorce and financial remedies to private law and public law children, injunctions and committals and appeals. The guidance is set out with clear references to source materials and is supplemented by forms and other practical information.
The work is a key staple widely referred to within the Family Court, Principal Registry of the Family Division, other district registries and county courts.
The 7th edition includes the following:
- Divorce reform
- Changes to Committal proceedings
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (inc PD 12J and Rule 3A)
- Presumption of diminished evidence and vulnerability of witnesses (PD 3AA)
- Jurisdiction issues
- Parental alienation
This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's Family Law online service.