Transparency Reporting Pilot – Financial Remedy Proceedings – commencing 29 January 2024

The President on 11 December 2023 issued Guidance in relation to a pilot scheme governing reporting of Financial Remedy proceedings commencing.

The scheme will commence on 29 January 2024 and will apply to proceedings in the Central Family Court, the Family Court in Birmingham and the Family Court in Leeds. It will be extended to proceedings at High Court level at the Royal Courts of Justice in November 2024.   The scheme will apply to:

1. Applications for financial remedies upon divorce;
2. Applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989;
3. Applications under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984.

The Guidance is here. In addition to the Guidance the linked document contains draft interim and final transparency orders together with an extremely helpful guide produced by the Transparency Project entitled “What to do when a reporter attends (or wants to attend) your hearing”.

This is important Guidance and is essential reading.

Please note that the standard transparency order provides for position statements and the ES1 (but not the ES2, without permission of the court) to be made available to a reporter.

James Roberts KC