Part of: Financial Settlement after Divorce
Yes, the first appointment can become an FDR, but only if the court agrees. Under the Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.15(7)(b), a judge can treat all or part of the first appointment in financial remedy proceedings as a Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) hearing (FPR 2010, r.9.15). The way the court finds out whether that’s realistic is Form G: a short notice each party must file and serve at least 14 days before the first appointment, confirming whether they’re ready to move straight to settlement negotiations on the day. It is one step in a wider financial settlement after divorce.
If your first appointment date has just arrived, the paperwork can feel relentless. This article explains general court procedure under the Family Procedure Rules 2010 in England and Wales, and does not constitute legal advice for your individual circumstances.
Reviewed by: Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist, Kabir Family Law
Key takeaways
- It tells the court whether you’re ready to skip straight to an FDR at the first appointment, instead of waiting for a separate FDR later (FPR 2010, r.9.14(5)(d)).
- Deadline: not less than 14 days before the first appointment. Both the applicant and the respondent must file and serve their own Form G.
- The court decides, not the parties alone. Rule 9.15(7)(b) gives the judge discretion to combine the hearings — more realistic where disclosure is complete and there’s nothing outstanding to value.
- If the appointment does become an FDR, rule 9.17 applies: it’s a meeting for discussion and negotiation, and the judge who hears it cannot go on to conduct your final hearing (FPR 2010, r.9.17).
- You both need to be there. Both parties must attend the first appointment in person unless the court directs otherwise (r.9.15(8)).
What is Form G?
Form G is the readiness notice used in contested financial remedy proceedings under Chapter 4, Part 9 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010). By the time it’s due, you’ll already have applied for a financial order on Form A and exchanged your Form E financial statement with the other party (at least 35 days before the first appointment, r.9.14(1)). This notice is the next procedural step: each of you tells the court, in writing, whether you’ll be in a position at the first appointment to proceed straight to an FDR (rule 9.14(5)(d)).
People often call it the divorce Form G, but the same step applies when a civil partnership ends. The rule itself only asks for “a notice”. The form is not in the list of financial remedy forms in Practice Direction 5A, so ask the court office handling your case which version it expects.
When do you need to file Form G?
Rule 9.14(5)(d) sets the deadline: not less than 14 days before the hearing of the first appointment. It must be filed at court and served on the other party — leaving it late, or leaving it to the other side to chase, works against you if you want the court to actually consider combining the hearings.
What else is due 14 days before the first appointment?
The readiness notice doesn’t travel alone. The same rule sets the same deadline for three other documents, and the applicant has one extra job (FPR 2010, r.9.14(5) and (6)):
- A concise statement of issues. What the two of you actually disagree about (r.9.14(5)(a)).
- A chronology. A timeline of the key dates (r.9.14(5)(b)).
- A questionnaire. The further information and documents you want from the other side, tied to the issues. If you need nothing, you say so instead (r.9.14(5)(c)).
- The readiness notice. Your answer on whether you can go straight to an FDR (r.9.14(5)(d)).
- The applicant’s confirmation. The applicant also confirms everyone they had to serve, such as a mortgage lender where the application involves land (r.9.14(6) and r.9.13(3)).
Treat this list as a map of the deadline, not a guide to completing the papers. What goes into your statement of issues and your questionnaire shapes everything the judge does next.
Can the first appointment turn into settlement talks on the day?
Sometimes, yes. Rule 9.15(7)(b) allows the court, having regard to both notices, to “treat the appointment (or part of it) as a FDR appointment to which rule 9.17 applies.” The rules don’t list conditions. However, the first appointment exists to define the issues and save costs (r.9.15(1)), so combining the hearings is more realistic where:
- Both Form E statements are complete, with no significant gaps in disclosure
- There’s no outstanding valuation work on property, a business or a pension (r.9.15(3)(a))
- Both parties have indicated readiness in their notices
- Neither of you is waiting on questionnaire answers before you can negotiate (r.9.15(2))
If any of that is still open, the judge’s job on the day is to give directions instead. Our tips on managing divorce financial disclosure explain how to keep your side of the paperwork complete.
What changes if the hearing becomes a negotiation?
If the court agrees, rule 9.17 then governs how that combined hearing works:
- It’s treated as a meeting held for discussion and negotiation, and you both must use your best endeavours to reach agreement (r.9.17(1) and (6)).
- Under rule 9.17(3), the applicant must file details of all offers and proposals, and responses to them, at least 7 days before the appointment.
- Filing an offer made without prejudice doesn’t make it admissible as evidence if it wouldn’t otherwise be (r.9.17(4)).
- The judge who conducts the FDR “must have no further involvement with the application, other than to conduct any further FDR appointment or to make a consent order or a further directions order” — so a different judge hears your final trial if the case doesn’t settle.
- On request, the offer documents filed for the FDR are returned to the party who filed them rather than kept on the court file (r.9.17(5)).
If you do reach agreement, the court can make a consent order there and then (r.9.17(8)). Our guide to the financial consent order explains what that order does.
What happens if your case isn’t ready on Form G?
If the notices show the case isn’t ready — because disclosure or valuations are incomplete — the first appointment goes ahead as a standard directions hearing instead. The court typically sets a timetable covering outstanding valuations, questionnaire responses, and a date for a separate FDR further down the line. Rule 9.15(4) requires that referral to an FDR unless there are exceptional reasons not to make it.
| Question | First appointment only | First appointment used as an FDR |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Defining the issues and saving costs (r.9.15(1)) | Discussion and negotiation (r.9.17(1)) |
| What the judge does | Decides which questions and documents need answers, and gives directions on valuations and experts (r.9.15(2) and (3)) | Helps you negotiate, and can make a consent order if you agree (r.9.17(8)) |
| Offers on the court file | Not part of the first appointment documents (r.9.14(5)) | Applicant files details of offers and responses at least 7 days before (r.9.17(3)) |
| The judge afterwards | No bar on hearing the case later | Cannot hear your final hearing (r.9.17(2)) |
| What comes next | A separate FDR, unless there are exceptional reasons (r.9.15(4) and (5)) | A consent order if you settle, otherwise directions towards a final hearing (r.9.17(9)) |
| Attendance | Both of you in person unless the court directs otherwise (r.9.15(8)) | The same rule applies (r.9.17(10)) |
Our guide to your first family court hearing covers what a first appointment involves in more detail if yours isn’t being combined with an FDR.
Frequently asked questions
Do both parties have to file a Form G?
Yes. Rule 9.14(5)(d) requires each party — applicant and respondent — to file and serve their own notice, not a joint one.
How is Form G different from your financial statement?
Form E is the full financial disclosure statement exchanged earlier in the case, at least 35 days before the first appointment. The readiness notice is a short document filed later, closer to the first appointment. See our Form E guide for the disclosure stage.
What if I say I’m not ready on Form G?
That’s the point of the form — it lets the court know disclosure or valuations still need work, so it can give the right directions rather than pushing a case into negotiation before it’s ready.
Where do I get a copy of the form?
Ask the court office dealing with your case. The rule requires a notice but doesn’t set its wording, and the form isn’t in the Practice Direction 5A list of financial remedy forms, so the court is the safest place to ask.
How does the first appointment differ from the negotiation hearing?
The first appointment is normally a case-management hearing that sets directions. The FDR is a negotiation hearing where you both try to reach agreement (r.9.17). The readiness notice is what lets the court combine the two into one hearing where the case allows it.
Do I have to attend the first appointment in person?
Yes, unless the court directs otherwise. Rule 9.15(8) requires both parties to attend personally, and rule 9.17(10) says the same for an FDR.
Facing a first appointment and unsure you’re ready? Get advice before the 14-day deadline
Getting Form G right — and knowing whether your disclosure and valuations are actually complete enough to negotiate on the day — can make a real difference to how much your first appointment costs you in time and legal fees. If you’re approaching a first appointment and want an honest view on whether your case is ready to move straight to an FDR, book a free initial consultation before the 14-day deadline arrives. One of our specialists gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances. You can also read more about financial settlement after divorce.
Expert Tip
We are often asked whether saying “ready” will speed things up. Before you decide, put both Form E statements side by side and list every figure you still can’t rely on: an unvalued pension, business or property, or an unanswered question. If that list isn’t empty, say so honestly in your notice. The judge can then set a realistic timetable, and your FDR happens when you can both negotiate on real numbers.
Garry Steedman, Family Law Consultant (Divorce, Children & TOLATA)
