Under the Child Arrangements Programme, the first hearing (the FHDRAA FHDRA is the first hearing in a children case: a first hearing and dispute resolution appointment. The court looks at what is agreed, what is not, and what needs to happen next., or First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment) is mostly about setting directions: what reports are needed, when the next hearing is. Under the Child Focused Model, because the court already has a Child Impact Report (Post 3), the first hearing is often where arrangements are decided or substantially settled. That changes how you should prepare.
Understand what the court will have in front of it
By the first hearing the judge will usually have: the application (C100A C100 is the form you fill in to ask the family court to make a decision about arrangements for a child. Once the court issues it, your case has a number and a first hearing is normally listed.) and any C1A form about harm; the Child Impact Report from CafcassCafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the court about what is best for a child.; and anything either parent has filed. Read all of it. Know where you agree and disagree with the report, and why.
Prepare a position statement
A position statementA position statement is a short document, usually a page or two, telling the judge before a hearing where things stand for you and what you are asking the court to consider. It is not evidence, and you write it yourself. is a short document, usually two to four pages, that tells the court who you are, what the current arrangements are, what you are asking the court to do, and why you think that is right for your child. It is not a place for the whole history or for arguments about the other parent's character. Courts consistently say the most useful position statements are short, factual, and organised under clear headings. Post 7 covers how to prepare one.
Prepare a chronology
A chronology is a dated list of the events that matter, one line each, in date order, with no commentary. It is the single most useful document you can bring because it lets a judge see the shape of the case in a minute. Post 6 explains how to make one the court can use.
Gather the documents that support what you say
Court orders, the Child Impact Report, school letters, medical letters, relevant messages with the other parent. Put them in date order and number the pages. If the court has asked for a bundle (an organised set of documents used by everyone at the hearing, prepared under a rule called Practice Direction 27A), follow the court's instructions on format exactly; many courts now require a single PDF that is bookmarked and page numbered.
Think about what you are asking for, in practical terms
Judges make orders about specifics: which days, which handover times, which location, how holidays are shared, how the child communicates with the parent they are not with. Go in with a clear, realistic proposal, and know which parts you could compromise on. The Child Focused Model puts weight on what will actually work for the child week to week.
On the day
- Arrive early
- Bring three copies of anything you have prepared, or make sure it has been filed and sent to the other parent in advance as the court directed
- Expect Cafcass to be present or available
- Expect the judge to ask you direct questions and to want short answers
- Address the judge as "Sir", "Madam" or "Judge" unless told otherwise
- Stay with the facts, and note anything you disagree with rather than interrupting
You are entitled to bring a McKenzie friend, someone who can sit with you, take notes and give quiet support, but who cannot speak for you unless the judge permits it. Post 5 explains this in more detail.
What might happen
The court may make a final order at the first hearing if enough is agreed or clear. It may make an interim order (arrangements to run for now) and list a further hearing, for example if there are disputed allegations that need a separate hearing, or if more information is needed. It may direct both parents to a service such as a separated parents programme. In some pilot areas the court can list a review hearing some months after an order to check that arrangements are working, which is one of the ways the model aims to reduce parents returning to court.
How familycourt.app and McKenzie can help
McKenzie shows you exactly where the first hearing sits on your case map and what the court expects at that stage. Document Studio helps you prepare your own position statement, chronology and bundle index from your own material, in the format the court expects, with each fact linked to its source. You review and confirm every line before anything is saved.