What size should the bundle be?

Practice Direction 27A says the bundle should be as concise as possible. For most financial remedy hearings, aim for no more than 350 pages. If your bundle is likely to exceed this, consider what can be left out. Only include documents that are directly relevant to the issues the judge needs to decide at that particular hearing.

Can I submit an electronic bundle?

Yes. Since 2020, most family courts accept and often prefer electronic bundles in PDF format. The PDF should be paginated, bookmarked, and searchable (not scanned images). Check with your specific court, as some still require paper copies in addition to the electronic version. The electronic bundle should be emailed to the court or uploaded to the court's document portal if available.

What if I forget something?

If you realise you have left something out after filing, contact the court and the other side as soon as possible. You can usually add a supplementary document, but the judge may not be happy if important documents arrive late. It is much better to be thorough the first time.

Do I need to include my ex's documents?

Yes. The bundle should contain documents from both sides. It is meant to be a single, agreed set of papers for the judge. Ideally, both parties cooperate on preparing the bundle. If your ex will not cooperate, you should still include their documents (such as their Form E) that you have received through the court process.

How many copies do I need?

For a paper bundle, you typically need one copy for the judge, one for the witness box, and one for each party — so usually 3 to 4 copies. If both sides have solicitors, each solicitor will have their own copy too. For electronic bundles, one PDF sent to the court and the other side is usually sufficient. Always check with the specific court for their requirements.

How to Prepare a Court Bundle for Family Court — Step by Step

If you have a financial remedy hearing coming up, you will probably need to prepare a court bundle. This guide walks you through what a court bundle is, what goes in it, how to format it, and when to file it. Getting the bundle right makes a real difference — a well-organised bundle helps the judge understand your case quickly, and a messy one wastes everyone's time (including yours).

What is a court bundle?

A court bundle is a file containing all the important documents the judge needs to read before and during your hearing. Think of it as a single organised folder with everything in one place — your financial disclosure, your ex's financial disclosure, any valuations, statements, correspondence, and court orders.

The rules for court bundles are set out in Practice Direction 27A of the Family Procedure Rules. The bundle is meant to be a joint document — ideally both you and your ex agree on what goes in it. In practice, if you are a litigant in person and your ex is not cooperating, you may have to prepare it yourself.

Why it matters

Judges are busy. They may have 15 minutes to read your bundle before the hearing. If your documents are disorganised, unnumbered, or missing key papers, the judge will struggle to understand your case. This wastes court time and can delay your hearing.

A good bundle shows the judge you are prepared and makes it easier for them to help you. A bad bundle — or no bundle at all — can lead to adjournments (the hearing being rescheduled), which means more delay and stress.

What happens

Here is the step-by-step process for preparing and filing a court bundle:

Step 1: Check what hearing you are preparing for

Different hearings need different documents. For a First Directions Appointment (FDA), the bundle focuses on Forms E and questionnaires. For an FDR, it includes position statements and proposals. For a final hearing, it may include witness statements and expert reports.

Step 2: Gather your documents

For a typical financial remedy bundle, you will need:

Previous court orders — Any orders already made in your case, in date order
Form A — Your application for a financial order
Both Forms E — Your financial disclosure and your ex's, with all attachments (property valuations, pension CETVs, bank statements, payslips)
Replies to questionnaires — If either side asked for more information and received answers
Valuations and expert reports — Property valuations, pension reports (PODE), business valuations
Statements and position statements — Any witness statements or position statements filed for this hearing
Correspondence — Only include correspondence that is directly relevant. Do not include every email — pick the ones that matter.
Offers — For FDR hearings, include without-prejudice proposals from both sides

Step 3: Put the documents in the right order

Practice Direction 27A sets out a standard order. Follow this structure:

An index (list of contents) with page numbers
Previous court orders, in chronological order
The application (Form A) and any answers
Forms E and attachments
Replies to questionnaires
Valuations and expert reports
Witness statements and position statements
Other relevant documents and correspondence

Step 4: Paginate the bundle

Every page must be numbered sequentially from start to finish. Page 1 is the index. If your bundle is 120 pages long, every page should be numbered 1 through 120.

For a paper bundle, write or stamp the page numbers in the bottom right corner. For an electronic bundle, add page numbers to the PDF.

Step 5: Create an index

The first page of the bundle should be an index listing every document, the tab or section number, and the page numbers where it can be found. For example:

Document	Section	Pages
Order of District Judge Smith, 15 January 2026	A	2-3
Form A	B	4-5
Applicant's Form E	C	6-45
Respondent's Form E	D	46-90

Step 6: Format the bundle

Paper bundles: A4, single-sided, in a ring binder or lever arch file. Use numbered divider tabs for each section. Do not use plastic wallets for individual pages — the judge needs to be able to turn pages quickly.
Electronic bundles: A single PDF file. It must be paginated (page numbers on every page), bookmarked (clickable sections in the PDF sidebar), and searchable (the text should be selectable, not a scanned image). Use a tool like Adobe Acrobat, PDF-XChange, or a free alternative to add bookmarks and page numbers.

Step 7: Agree the bundle with the other side

The rules say both parties should try to agree the contents of the bundle. In practice, this means sending your proposed index to the other side and asking if they want to add anything. If they do not respond or refuse to cooperate, prepare the bundle yourself and include their documents anyway.

Step 8: File the bundle

Deadline: The bundle must be filed with the court no later than 7 days before the hearing unless the court has directed otherwise. Some courts ask for bundles earlier — check any directions order you have received.
Electronic filing: Email the PDF to the court's dedicated email address (check the court's listing letter or the HMCTS website for the correct address). Keep the file size manageable — if it is over 20MB, you may need to split it or use a file-sharing service that the court accepts.
Paper filing: Deliver or post the required number of copies to the court. Allow time for postage.
Serve a copy on the other side at the same time you file with the court.

What you need to do

Start early. Do not leave bundle preparation to the last minute. Gathering documents, paginating, and creating an index takes time.
Read any directions order carefully. The court may have given specific directions about what the bundle should contain and when it should be filed.
Contact the court if you are unsure. Ring the court office and ask what format they prefer (electronic or paper) and how to submit it.
Keep a copy for yourself. Always bring your own copy of the bundle to the hearing so you can follow along when the judge refers to a page number.
Check everything is legible. If any documents are hard to read (faded bank statements, poor photocopies), try to get clearer copies.

What could go wrong

Filing late. If the bundle arrives after the deadline, the judge may not have time to read it. This could mean your hearing is adjourned — wasting everyone's time and delaying your case.
Missing key documents. If the judge asks for a document that should be in the bundle and it is not there, it looks bad and may delay the hearing.
No page numbers. Without pagination, the judge cannot direct you to a specific page. This slows everything down.
Including irrelevant material. Do not dump in every email, text message, and letter from the last two years. The judge does not have time to read 500 pages. Be selective — include only what is relevant to the issues at this hearing.
Scanned images instead of searchable PDFs. If you scan paper documents, the PDF will just be pictures of pages. The judge cannot search or copy text. Use OCR (optical character recognition) software to make scanned documents searchable.
Not serving on the other side. The bundle must go to both the court and the other party. Forgetting to serve it on your ex can cause problems.

Where to get help

Support Through Court — Free help for litigants in person, including bundle preparation: supportthroughcourt.org or call 03000 810 006
Personal Support Unit (PSU) — Volunteers at court who can help you with practical tasks: thepsu.org
Citizens Advice — General advice on court preparation: citizensadvice.org.uk
HMCTS — Court contact details and guidance: courttribunalfinder.service.gov.uk
Bar Pro Bono Unit (Advocate) — May provide a free barrister who can help prepare your bundle: weareadvocate.org.uk