What is an FDA court hearing?

One of the most important parts of getting divorce, is reaching a financial settlement. A lot of couples are able to agree this without going to court, but if there are difficulties in achieving this.

Perhaps with one person not providing their financial information or not making sensible proposals in a timely fashion - then going to court could be advisable. The benefit is that a court application in place a structured timetable to minimise delay and to ensure that you able to get a final outcome.

The First Directions Appointment, or ‘FDA’, is the first hearing in relation to a financial dispute arising from divorce. The Court will consider both your and your partner’s financial disclosures to establish if any further information is required from either of you. The next steps that are required to be taken will be outlined and a timetable of deadlines to allow for a financial settlement to be reached will be produced.

The parties will be encouraged to reach an agreement if possible. If agreement cannot be reached, the FDA allows for negotiations at the second hearing, the Financial Dispute Resolution Hearing (FDR) as by this point any issues have been outlined and all assets and liabilities of both parties has been disclosed. You can also take a look at our blog on FDR Hearings to understand more about how they fit into the overall process.

This is the first in a series of articles about different stages within financial remedy proceedings. The others include:

Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) Hearing

Final Hearing

Read more about more our specialist expertise in securing financial settlements as part of your divorce proceedings.