Citation, extent and commencement

1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025.

(2) These Rules extend to England and Wales.

(3) These Rules come into force as follows—

(a)this rule and rules 2 and 3 come into force on 5th January 2026;

(b)rule 5 comes into force on 2nd March 2026; and

(c)rule 4 comes into force on 1st June 2026.

Amendment of the Family Procedure Rules 2010

2. The Family Procedure Rules 2010(2) are amended in accordance with rules 3 to 5 of these Rules.

Amendment of rule 16.4

3. In rule 16.4 (appointment of a children’s guardian in proceedings not being specified proceedings or proceedings to which Part 14 applies), in paragraph (1) omit “8.42 or”.

Amendment of rule 29.1

4. In rule 29.1 (personal details), in paragraph (1)—

(a)after “reveal” insert “to anyone other than the court”; and

(b)in sub-paragraph (a) for “the party’s” substitute “their own, or another party’s”.

Amendment of rule 30.3

5. In rule 30.3 (permission)—

(a)in paragraph (1B)(a) for “or costs judge” substitute “, costs judge, a lay justice or a bench of lay justices”;

(b)in paragraph (3) for “An” substitute “Subject to paragraph (3A), an”; and

(c)after paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) Where an application for permission to appeal is against a decision—

(a)made by a lay justice or a bench of lay justices; or

(b)of a type specified for the purposes of this rule in Practice Direction 30A,

the application for permission to appeal must be made to the appeal court in an appeal notice.”.