Directions

Gap #589

The assumption

Child maintenance carries on until my child is 18.

The reality

The rule is different from that. Through the Child Maintenance Service, maintenance covers a child under 16, or under 20 if they are still in approved education or training. Payments end when they leave that education or training, or turn 20, whichever happens first. Approved education includes courses such as A levels and most vocational qualifications up to level 3; full-time study at degree level is not approved education for this purpose. Child maintenance is linked to Child Benefit, so changes to a child's education are reported to the Child Benefit office, not the Child Maintenance Service. That catches people out in both directions: a parent expecting the payments to run to 18 can find they end sooner, and a parent paying can find them running on well past 18 because a young person is still in approved education. Private agreements and court orders can set different end dates. You can check the rule yourself on GOV.UK rather than take our word for it: https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance-service/when-child-maintenance-stops

Gap #582

The assumption

Once a new Act gets Royal Assent, the family court process changes the next day.

The reality

The Victims and Courts Act 2026 received Royal Assent in May 2026 and is item 2 on the Family Procedure Rule Committee's Tier 1 list, dealing with restriction of the exercise of parental responsibility. The Committee is still working through the changes that follow, with updates due at its November 2026 meeting. An Act is the instruction; the rules, practice directions and forms are the machinery that makes it work in a courtroom, and that machinery is drafted and introduced separately. Until it lands, the process in your court may not have changed at all. Check the Committee's published updates rather than assuming the new law is already being applied at the counter.

Gap #538

The assumption

The First Appointment (FDA) is where the court decides your case or tests the evidence.

The reality

The FDA is a case management hearing, not a trial. The judge looks at what is agreed and what is in dispute, and gives directions on anything still needed — further disclosure, questionnaire answers, valuations. No evidence is tested and no decision is made on the outcome. Treat it as a planning meeting, not a hearing to win or lose.

Gap #514

The assumption

In a financial remedy case, there will be a first appointment where the court explains what I need to do.

The reality

In the Express Financial Remedy pilot (PD36ZH) there is no first appointment. The first hearing is the financial dispute resolution appointment. Solicitor commentary describes the work as front loaded: Forms E within 28 days of the application, valuations and mortgage capacity within a further 14 days, and settlement proposals at least 21 days before the first hearing. Check the live practice direction and your court's timetable for your actual dates.