Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2017 and come into force on 6th April 2017.

Amendment of the Family Procedure Rules 2010

2. The Family Procedure Rules 2010( 3 ) are amended in accordance with rules 3 to 6.

Amendment of Part 10

3. —(1) In rule 10.3 (service of the application), after paragraph (1) insert—

“ (1A) An application must not be served personally by the applicant himself or herself. ” .

(2) In rule 10.6 (service of an order), after paragraph (1) insert—

“ (1A) The documents listed in paragraph (1) must not be served personally by the applicant himself or herself. ” .

Amendment of Part 11

4. —(1) In rule 11.1 (scope and interpretation), after the definition of a forced marriage protection order, insert—

“ “an individual” means a person (whether legally represented or not) who is not applying for an order on behalf of an organisation, and includes the person who is the subject of the proceedings; ” .

(2) In rule 11.4 (service of applications on notice)—

(a) in paragraph (1), for “paragraphs (3) and (5)” substitute “paragraph (3)”; and

(b) after paragraph (1) insert—

“ (1A) Where the applicant is an individual, the application must not be served personally by the applicant himself or herself. ” .

(3) In rule 11.7 (hearings and service of orders), after paragraph (3) insert—

“ (3A) Where the applicant is an individual, the documents listed in paragraph (3) must not be served personally by the applicant himself or herself. ” .

Amendment of Part 16

5. In rule 16.6(1)(b) (circumstances in which a child does not need a children’s guardian or litigation friend), after “Part 4A of the Family Law Act 1996”, insert “or Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003( 4 )”.