ROYAL COURT OF
JERSEY
FD 12/09
PRELIMINARY
DIRECTIONS HEARINGS (PDH's)
Legal
Representatives entitled to attend but Advocates and Jersey
Solicitors to attend contested cases
A
legal representative entitled to attend a Preliminary Directions Hearings must
have the conduct of the file in question and have instructions from his or her
client to attend.
When a time has been fixed for a Preliminary Directions
Hearing and the Directions sought at the hearing are known by the advocate or
solicitor making the application to be opposed, or are likely to be opposed,
the advocate or solicitor shall, if possible, give at least 3 days’
notice, both to the opposing lawyers (if instructed) and to the Court, of the
nature of the application intended to make, so that an advocate or solicitor
can be instructed to appear on both sides at the Preliminary Directions
Hearing.
Such notice need not be given if only Standard Directions
are sought, unless an application for Standard Directions is known to be
opposed.
The following are Standard Directions:-
• to
fix a date;
• to
file an affidavit of means;
• to
file questionnaires and answers to questionnaires;
• to
obtain a property valuation at joint expense by a valuer
to be agreed;
• to
file agreed documents by a certain date;
• to
fix a date for a Case Review Hearing and the attendance of a Jersey Family
Court Advisory Service (“JFCAS”) Officer;
• to
file a chronology, statement(s) of issues, summary(ies)
of assets and open positions;
• to
adjourn, so that mediation by the Jersey Mediation Service can take place;
• to
make any direction by consent.