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.